My life is in danger, claims MCA arson victim

Gatuanyaga Member of County Assembly (MCA) Cecelia Mwangi wants the government to provide her with security. Cecelia claims the arsonists who recently burnt four of her vehicles want to kill her.

Speaking to The Nairobian at the Naidu Hospital in Thika where she was still admitted, the MCA who is also the Kiambu County Assembly Minority Leader, attributed the arson attack to a land dispute in Thika with a person she did not name.

She said the suspected the person had in the past threatened to get her killed if she did not surrender the disputed piece of land to him. The mother of five however maintains the land is rightfully hers, and that she has all the documents to prove the ownership.

The MCA said she had received numerous death threats and even reported the matter at Thika Police Station before the attack.

“Some people have been trailing me, frequenting my hotel in Gatuanyaga and must have been monitoring my movements. On several occasions, a vehicle would stop at my gate in the wee hours of the morning for 15 minutes before driving off. My life is in danger. I do not feel safe anymore. I call upon the government to provide me with adequate security,” she said.

The ward rep was rushed to hospital after she suffered shock and high blood pressure. Doctors at the hospital say her condition is now stable.

On that fateful night, Mwangi says a gang of about 10 masked men stormed her home at 2am shouting her name and urging her to open the door to discuss something. She however refused to open the door out of fear, prompting them to torch her cars - a Toyota Prado, Toyota Hilux pick-up, Nissan Navara pick-up and Toyota Premio worth, all worth about Sh8 million.

Six months ago, the ward rep told The Nairobian that several men accosted her as she was going home one evening and informed her that they had been paid Sh200,000 each to kill her.

The ward rep ventured into politics in 2002 when she was nominated as a councillor by Kanu, then headed by Uhuru Kenyatta. She contested the Gatuanyaga ward seat in 2007 on a Kanu ticket but lost to Paul Hato of Party of National Unity (PNU). She however won the seat in a 2010 by-election when the incumbent died.

The MCA refuted claims the attack was politically motivated, saying she is in good terms with fellow politicians.

Police in Thika are yet make arrests, though Thika East Deputy County Commissioner Simon Komen said detectives are following crucial leads and is optimistic that the suspects will be nabbed soon.