Ndura Waruinge on fatherhood and his Mungiki past: "Proud father of 25 children"

Like the biblical Saul whose reign of terror was notorious before he changed his bad ways, so is the life of Ndura Waruinge. Saul was against believers of Christ and even killed some. But Jesus shone a light on him, and the man became a believer and changed his name to Paul. He went on to be one of the greatest missionaries. Before he embraced Christianity, Ndura led a dark life. He was among the key leaders of the rag-tag Mungiki sect that was against modernity. Mungiki members were notorious for extorting, charging "protection" levies and killing those who dared stand in their way. After disowning the sect in 2007, Ndura has never shied away from reminding those who care to listen to him that he is a good man and harmless. And for the last 17 years, Ndura has been spending most of his time at the pulpit preaching the Christian Gospel. He, therefore, does not regret that during his days in the 'wildness', he sired 22 children by different women. It sounds strange, but Ndura quickly explains that it was during those days when he had run-ins with the government that had even placed a bounty on his head by virtue of being the Mungiki de facto national coordinator. "These women were my shield. I used to go and hide in their homes whenever the police were looking for me. The children are a product of my past ways. I have no regrets (about fathering them) and would never disown them. In fact, a man who disowns his own blood just to make a woman happy is a disgrace to humanity," says Ndura. He claims that even in the Bible, Solomon the wise man, was polygamous and had many children, and at no point did God forsake him for that. "I am a proud father of 25 children, three of them with my wife," he said. Ndura who now runs Crusaders of Christ or the Synagogue situated at Coffee Plaza in Nairobi says the 22 children were born when he was still in the sect during his youthful years and when cash was flowing. "Back then I used to evade police officers by hiding amidst the women. In the process one thing could lead to another and that is how the children were born," he told The Nairobian. "What I know is that all my children are more 25. I got the first born when I was only 17 years old. I have only three children with one woman and I am a proud man, furthermore all their mothers are my good friends to date," he added. Ndura claims that he has not only provided but also educated his children who, he reveals, are now grown-up and working in different parts of the world. "I never let the children down. Men like to date many women but they feel that siring a child is mistake. As a father, you must take care of your mistakes by ensuring they access basic needs and rights," he said. On the current relationship with his exes, the former Mungiki leader claims he still has connections with some of them through his church and business. "I still have a perfect relationship with them. In fact, three of them worship in my church and we still do business with others. It is something that I'm not shy about and it is known in the church," he explained. Now an elder, Ndura does not believe that being born again is only about going to church but taking care of the offspring that one brings to the world. "That is your responsibility, whether you are born again or not. It is not about going to heaven of not. It is about taking care about what you brought to the earth. They never asked to be born." Years after ditching Mungiki for church, Ndura argues that he is out to dispel the notion that when one is Christian and has a wife, he neglects children born out of wedlock or their mothers. "Even when you have concubines out there don't treat them as your enemies, same to their children. In many cases such children are the most successful and in some instances children who are neglected block successes of men who sire and dump them," said Ndura. A strong adherent of his Kikuyu culture, the ex-Mungiki leader argues that such beliefs do not disqualify you from being a Christian, explaining that when joined the Church, nobody told him to change his name. "In our Kikuyu culture for instance, it is a father that blesses their children thus my decision to support all my children. And that is where the issue of clan comes in. Lack of a father figure makes children clanless," he explained. "Why leave the children to suffer? It ought to be every man's moral responsibility. Wives should also accept such children because each one of them comes with their blessings." He is, however, quick to say that he does not encourage men to go around sowing their wild oats. "It is not demonic but I'm not encouraging that. If you have one wife, respect her and walk with her but ensure to look for and support the children you sired with other women before you settled. It is also wrong for women to stop men from supporting children born out of wedlock," he adds Ndura also maintains he is not ashamed of his past life as the leader of an outlawed sect that made him feared across the country. "I'm now Apostle Ndura Waruinge. I'm not ashamed of who I was before because I love it. That was my stepping stone to where I am today," he notes. A cousin to Maina Njenga, the preacher recalls disappearing from the public limelight and spending some time abroad when he ditched the sect. "The sect was no more needed because by then it was only a Gikuyu outfit and we were fighting the then government. Our main was to ensure that one of us gets elected to a top seat and we had more than two million followers," he says. According to Ndura, the sect carried out illegal activities like forcefully managing matatu routes, garbage collection, water and electricity distribution. He does not believe the sect is any more saying: "Those who still claim to be the members are just using the name to extort."

Ndura Waruinge on fatherhood and his Mungiki past: "Proud father of 25 children"

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Ndura Waruinge on fatherhood and his Mungiki past: "Proud father of 25 children"

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