Fears over Mungiki return in Kenya

Nakuru Governor Kinuthia Mbugua at the burial of Joseph Chege at Heshima, in Nakuru. Chege was killed by unknown people [PHOTO: BONIFACE THUKU/STANDARD]

There are fears that the outlawed Mungiki sect is regrouping and is behind the recent bizarre killings of eight commercial sex workers in Nakuru town.

A source privy to the investigation into the killings disclosed that there are elements in the murders that are characteristic of the sect.

“The chopping of private parts; skinning and gouging out the victims’ eyes are a  hallmark of a Mungiki killing,” said one of the investigators. 

The group has also been accused of extorting money from traders who want stalls at the market and business people who want to place their matatus on certain routes.

Nakuru Street Traders and Hawkers Association chairman Symon Nasieku confirmed that his members have been harassed by the gang.

“It is no secret, there is an illegal gang that operates in the town and has been extorting money from traders and matatu operators,” Nasieku said.

Harassed by gang

Nasieku  says the county government has failed to act.

“We tried to raise the matter with the authorities but there is nothing they did because the gang was working with the county government in the hawkers relocation exercise,” he says.

Nakuru Town East MP David Gikaria and his Bahati counterpart Kimani Ngunjiri have also complained to security agencies about the re-emergence of Mungiki. He says the members were   becoming more bold in their extortion.

“We are aware that the Mungiki are back and are demarcating matatu terminals. We want the police to investigate the matter,” Gikaria said.

But reacting to these claims, Nakuru County Police Commander Hassan Barua said they were not aware of the re-emergence of Mungiki in Nakuru town.

He said members of the public should be vigilant and report suspicious activity. “We are not aware of the re-emergence of the proscribed group,” he said on phone.

In an interesting twist, Nakuru County Governor Kinuthia Mbugua has also been caught in the mix of things. Early this week, Mbugua was put on the spot after attending the burial of one Joseph Chege who has been allegedly linked to the sect. Hawkers claimed that Chege alias Jose, was part of a criminal gang that has been harassing them and Mr Mbugua’s presence had sent the wrong signal.

Speaking at the burial, Mbugua said: “I have known him since 1997 and my relationship with him did not start when I became governor. He has been instrumental in supporting county government programmes and implementing youth projects.” However, on Thursday last week, Mbugua seemed to distance himself from the same man saying he did not know he was a suspected Mungiki leader.

“Mungiki is a proscribed sect and I was shocked to realise that there are people who all along knew the two were members of the sect.  I had always assumed it was a mysterious murder. When I attended the funeral I called on security agents to help unfold the murder mystery,” he told journalists when asked why he attended the funeral.

Chege was mysteriously abducted and murdered and his body dumped at a forest in Kiambu County. Traders who were recently relocated from the Central Business District and allocated lockable stalls at Nasher Square along Oginga Odinga Street and Mburu Gichua Road  have been protesting over harassment by the illegal gang who they claim demand protection fees. Last  October, members of the gang forced a matatu operator to pay Sh20,000 to access the Free Area stage in the CBD.

‘mini supreme court’

“Members of the gang approached me when they got wind that I was planning to introduce my vehicle to the route. They  told me the vehicle would not be allowed to operate on the route until I pay ‘pesa ya vijana’ (money for the youth),” said the businessman who did not want to be named for security reasons. The Standard on Sunday learnt that most of the lockable kiosks that were set up at Nasher Square by the county government are owned by members of the gang.

“Those who occupy kiosks that face the road pay Sh10,000 while those inside pay  Sh5,000 a month,” revealed another trader.

Traders have also complained of an illegal ‘supreme court’ at the main market.

“The gang operates a kanagaroo court at the market where those who are deemed to have broken the regulations are punished or expelled from the market,” said a trader.