The reincarnation of Mungiki

By CCI Team

The outlawed Mungiki sect may look like it was extinguished, but investigations by CCI reveal that some former members have discreetly formed an offshoot that is silently fleecing Kenyans.

The new outfit calling itself "Unfinished" is flourishing in several bus termini and some trading centres especially in Central Province.
And its leaders are former Mungiki leaders who used to operate in the sect’s Central Province bedrock.

They may not spot dreadlocks or snuff tobacco like Mungiki was known to do sometimes back, but the group has its way of distinguishing its members.

Others dress in smart suits to disguise themselves as commuters to fool law enforcers. But they are never in a hurry to take their seats in matatus. They only hover around matatus termini and move from one matatu to the next discreetly extorting.

Under the guise of managing matatu routes and instilling discipline among touts, the Unfinished has been able to entrench itself in the transport sector in Central Province.
The group is almost taking over all bus termini in most towns in the province. Members operate discretely avoiding confrontation with law enforcers by ensuring that they collect their money only after the council revenues officers retire for the day or before they arrive.

Police disclosure

"I have heard about that group though I don’t have enough details. But I can assure you it is under investigations.
There is an on-going crackdown targeting these criminals because police have a duty to protect Kenyans," said Police spokesman Eric Kiraithe of the group.
"What I can say is that organised crime is a matter of concern to the police, which we are not taking lightly. We want to finish these groups," he adds.

But Central Province police boss Mr John Mbijjiwe said he was unaware of the group and insisted that claims of its existence were sensational and without any basis.
"I don’t think that there is anything like that because we have even managed to get rid of the Mungiki menace. People are having good time as police have become extra vigilant," said Mbijjiwe.

However, Kigumo DC Omar Salat said that he was aware that a group of boys masquerading as Mungiki members have resorted to discreet tricks of extortion.
"I know there are boys who are extorting money from some hideouts, but we will catch up with them very soon," he said.
Salat, however, said majority of former Mungiki members had reformed and some of them had surrendered to the authorities.

But matatu operators who spoke to CCI on condition they won’t be named for fear of reprisal said the group exists and it runs welfare schemes where each matatu contributes Sh20 per trip.

A matatu driver plying the Nanyuki-Nyeri route said the group demands Sh300 from every matatu once the council revenue officers close business after 5 pm.
"Once the council officers leave, the group takes over in all the stages demanding money from the matatus. They have a network that ensures that their presence is felt in every bus terminus," said the driver.

The group has also taken control of many rural shopping centres especially in the larger Murang’a District where they extort from traders.
The matatu operators and the traders are well versed with the operations of the group but they fear to report their activities to the police.

In Nyeri town, CCI managed to identify members of the Unfinished at the main bus terminus and at the Kamakwa bus stop.

The members interact freely with touts and matatu drivers in the stage. They are only noticed while taking money from the matatus as they leave the stage.
"Most of us are former members of Mungiki but we are not violent people. We don’t extort. We get money voluntarily from matatus," said one member of the group at the Kamakwa stage who was only identified as Ngatia. He was in a black trouser, maroon T-shirt, a blue sports jacket and boots.
The middle aged man who spoke to CCI on condition that he will not be photographed said due to their presence, discipline has been maintained at the bus stage.

He said that matatu owners were very supportive of their presence and their services.
"Have you ever heard any of us being linked to violence or engaging in unlawful activities?" he posed.
"We have a duty to ensure that the transport business is carried out in a friendly environment. We keep away trouble makers from our midst and in the process earn our daily bread." he added.

Another member of the group who joined his colleague in the middle of the interview disputed claims that the outfit was a breakaway faction of the Mungiki sect saying it has been in existence for a long time.

He said police were aware of their presence and wondered what the fuss was all about.
"You are trying to create a bad impression by labelling us former members of Mungiki. We are a group that is charged with maintaining order in matatu stages and we don’t extort or involve ourselves in criminal activities," he said in a dismissive manner.

After several weeks of investigations with the assistance of two police officers based in Nyeri who requested not to be identified since they are not authorised to speak to the press, the CCI team was able to track the operations of the group.

One of the officers lamented that despite raising alarm to their bosses about the group, some of them were not keen to order an operation to wipe it out.

Criminal engagements

"You people (journalists) have concentrated so much on the Mungiki sect and you are forgetting that there is an offshoot group that has emerged which is growing very fast," said one of the officers.

The officer, who has been investigating the group, told CCI that it operates from Skuta Estate in Nyeri. He said that they suspect that members have also been engaging in other criminal activities like robbery.

They said from the description given by the women, it was clear that members of the group were behind the robbery.

"We tried to track them but we couldn’t get them at their hideout in Skuta," said one of the officers.

Two men believed to be part of the group were recently lynched by members of the public at Muringato Bridge near Nyeri town on suspicion that they were robbers.

During their funeral at Tetu, police stormed the ceremony and arrested five youths who allegedly belonged to the Unfinished group. But they were later released under unclear circumstances. And in December last year, trucks hired by the Government to transport relief food were forced to pay levies in parts of central province. Those who defied were harassed and threatened and eventually they had to pay.

During one such incident at Muthithi market Kigumo District, two group members were arrested by police for extorting money from the hired trucks.
But their colleagues armed with rungus confronted the officers demanding the release of their colleagues

In yet another incident last December, a security team led by Central Provincial Police Officer John Mbijjiwe bumped into a group of youth extorting from motorists while disguising themselves as youth maintaining order.

Mbijjiwe told a meeting of how his security officers had to shoot in the air to disperse the youths.
Incidentally, the PPO was on his way to a security meeting at Muthithi to address the Mungiki menace.

If action is not taken fast to weed out this group at this early stage, the hydra headed Mungiki may be on its way back.