Five Mungiki Men Nabbed in Molo As 50 Denied Bond

The East African Standard (Nairobi)/January 17, 2003

Nairobi -- Police in Molo yesterday raided the home of the national co-ordinator of the outlawed Mungiki sect, Mr Ndura Waruingi, and arrested five sect followers.

Waruingi was not among those arrested when the security personnel struck Mona village at dawn. But his younger brother Isaac Ngugi was flushed out of his house and arrested.

The policemen, armed with guns, combed the village searching houses for members of the sect before they left with the suspects.

Also arrested was a local Mungiki chairman, Mr Simon Karanja Wanyeki, who was ambushed at his Karirikania village in Muchorui.

Local police boss, Mr Herbert Khaemba, and the head of the CID, Inspector Nyali Munga led the team that is cracking down on Mungiki followers in the area.

Meanwhile, more than 50 suspected Mungiki sect members charged with bailable offences have been denied bond by a Nairobi court.

The suspects who were charged with preparation to commit a felony, were denied bond by Makadara Senior Principal Magistrate Charles Rinjeu since Monday.

Prosecuting, Inspector Lawrence Njenga objected to their bond applications citing insecurity outcry by the public in city estates and matatu termini within Nairobi area.

Separately, 22 people, among them a woman were yesterday charged before a Nakuru court with being members of the outlawed Mungiki sect.

They denied the charge when they appeared before Principal Magistrate Haroun Bomett. Nine of them were from Nakuru town, 12 from Nyahururu and one from Njoro.

Clad in dirty clothes, the outlawed sect members looked composed as the charges were read out. They denied being members of Mungiki saying they knew it was an illegal society.