Suspected Mungiki Members Hacked To Death, Houses Torched Over Extortion and Land Grabbing
On Wednesday, January 29, irate Kirinyaga people hacked to death a suspected Mungiki member and set fire to seven semi-permanent buildings for allegedly extorting money from the residents.
During yesterday’s violent protests, inhabitants of the South Ngariama ranching scheme in Murinduko ward, Mwea-East, took the law into their own hands against suspected members of the banned Mungiki cult.
According to reports, the neighbors apprehended one of the suspected Mungiki members in the region and hacked him to death.
According to the inhabitants, over 30 members of the unlawful sect were living in the project, with more apparently escaping the angry mob.
Residents claim that accused Mungiki members infiltrated the South Ngariama ranching enterprise, extorting money and stealing land from farmers.
'Mungiki' members targeted
— Citizen TV Kenya (@citizentvkenya) January 29, 2025
One suspected Mungiki members hacked to death in Mwea
Seven houses torched over alleged extortion by sect members
30 sect members allegedly tried taking pieces of land in Ngariama scheme#JKLive @KoinangeJeff pic.twitter.com/VrqKHkzuQh
“They came, took land from people, and divided it among themselves, even in town. If you dared say anything, they beat you up,” one resident, who did not wish to be identified, told Citizen TV.
He went on to add, “They take people’s things—cows, goats, and sheep—every day.” “If you take your livestock to the river, they charge you,” another resident said.
More than 500 protesters set fire to seven semi-permanent residences.
The houses are reported to belong to the 30 persons who had been living in the scheme, where they had stolen many plots of land from the residents and prepared to assault them.
“They wanted to chase one resident from his piece of land when the angry residents attacked them,” a resident, Peter Wanjohi, said.
“Despite being armed with assorted weapons, we managed to overpower them, and one was killed before his body was set on fire.”
“We don’t want them here. We want to expel them because they have been extorting money from the residents and taking our pieces of land by force,” another resident, Peter Gichira, added.
Residents claimed that the cult members were brought to the area by a man posing as a land surveyor for the program.
“This man had been using these people to forge our land documents, causing confusion in this scheme, but we have said enough is enough,” William Muthike said.
The intensification in violence against the group comes just a month after allegations surfaced indicating that the outlawed group is making a comeback.
Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua authorized Mukurwe-ini MP John Kaguchia earlier this month to file a petition requesting that the International Criminal Court (ICC) examine the government’s suspected involvement in the illegal Mungiki group.
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His calls for an investigation came after a political event on December 31 headed by controversial pastor and politician Maina Njenga.
During the meeting, Njenga, who has previously been linked to Mungiki, revealed that he will confront Gachagua head-on.
A visibly furious Gachagua claimed that following the political event on December 31, locals were robbed and harassed. However, we could not independently verify the charges.
A security team from the Mwea-East sub-county, commanded by Deputy County Commissioner Fred Ayieko, said they would not comment amidst ongoing investigations.
Suspected Mungiki Members Hacked To Death, Houses Torched Over Extortion and Land Grabbing
