Njenga promises Uhuru rough time in Central

By Moses Njagih and Lonah Kibet

Former Mungiki leader Maina Njenga is ready to stop Uhuru Kenyatta’s political bus in its tracks and has warned the Deputy Prime Minister to prepare for the mother of all battles.

Maina Njenga claimed that he supported the DPM’s presidential campaign in 2002, when Uhuru was Kanu’s and former President Moi’s preferred choice for State House.

At the time, Maina Njenga was the leader of the Mungiki (loosely translated to mean ‘multitude’ or ‘a united people’).

“I know Uhuru very well. In 2002, I championed his campaigns as I went to every part of the country lobbying for his presidency. He can still come we sit down and bury the hatchet,” said Njenga.

But contacted on Sunday on phone, Uhuru’s spokesman Mr Munyori Buku refused to comment on the allegations by Njenga.

Njenga accused Uhuru of failing to address challenges facing the youth in Central Kenya, adding that this led him (Uhuru) to lose their support.

“I want to remind him that charity begins at home, so Uhuru should not jeopardise his youth support base in Central,” said Maina.

Njenga, who declared that he would be seeking a political seat in the coming general election, has vowed to engage Uhuru in a political supremacy battle in his Central Province backyard to the end.

planned meeting

He said he plans to attend a meeting in Limuru on Wednesday dubbed Limuru 2B, to be addressed by among others, retired Anglican Church Archbishop Dr David Gitari.

The meeting is to counter an earlier one organised by leaders of the Gikuyu Embu and Meru Association (Gema) that endorsed Uhuru to carry the presidential torch for Central Kenya in the coming general election.

A previous Limuru 2B meeting organised by Njenga and others aborted after police blocked youth and organisers from the venue citing security concerns, drawing heavy criticism from Uhuru’s political rivals and a section of civil society.

Njenga said on Sunday that he hoped the police would allow them to exercise their constitutional right to assemble and chart their political destiny in Limuru on Wednesday.

One of the organisers of the meeting, Mr Wambugu Ngunjiri revealed that in addition to Rev Gitari as the key speaker, others expected to address the meeting include senior counsel and former Kabete MP Paul Muite, Imenti Central MP Gitobu Imanyara and his Igembe South counterpart Mithika Linturi.

Urging his supporters to attend the meeting without fear of the police, Njenga said the forum would lay the ground for his political journey.

“After there we will go to Mombasa and even engage the MRC (Mombasa Republican Council) that everyone is rushing to talk to. We will tell them that the problems they have are similar to what we have in Central and so they should not speak of secession,” said Njenga.

Speaking at his Hope International Ministries church, Njenga said he would organise a meeting at Nairobi’s Kamukunji grounds to declare the party on which he will contest a political seat, and guide his supporters on whom to back in the next elections. He did not, however, name the seat he would vie for.

“We saw Uhuru launch his party the other day and we also want to tell him that we will soon be launching ours. I will come back here and also tell you where we will stand come the next polls,” said Maina.

But Maina said he does not support political violence and urged youth in Central Kenya to restrain themselves from acts of political violence.

The former Mungiki leader also appeared to extend an olive branch to Uhuru, his alleged friend-turned-foe, saying despite their differences he was willing to talk with him and chart a common political destiny.

He said that contrary to allegations made in some quarters, his supporters had not planned to disrupt Uhuru’s political functions.

disbanded group

“If I am the one who led Uhuru’s campaign in 2002, how can I now be on the forefront to disrupt his meetings?” he posed?

He also took issue with those claiming that the proscribed Mungiki group, which he led, was regrouping and planning violence in the country saying the illegal outfit had long been disbanded.

He claimed those behind the allegations fear losing their political clout to the youth.

Njenga particularly took issue with Laikipia East legislator Mwangi Kiunjuri, claiming the legislator is responsible for the claims about the resurgence of the outlawed group linked in various reports in the recent past to extortion and murder as well as the 2008 post-election violence.

“These reckless statements from Kiunjuri must be investigated so that he can tell Kenyans what he knows. But if he has his own problems with the youth in Laikipia he should not blame us, let him wage his battle without invoking our names,” he said.

He added: “I personally have my own issues to worry about including fabricated court cases, so let him and Uhuru fight their battles without involving us. I personally have no war with anyone.”