Militarisation of politics in Mount Kenya and the Mungiki question

In what seemed like a well-choreographed strategy to deny those with dissenting voices a platform, the youth placed themselves in the church, waiting to obstruct the former legislators from addressing the congregants.

The former President had addressed the church days earlier after donating Sh1 million and had promised to join them in a church service. During the fateful day, there was word on the street that he would join them in the celebration of New Year's Eve.

"It is the height of cowardice to use youth to boo people with different opinions; it shows the level of intolerance in the Kenya Kwanza government," Mwathi said.

On the Mungiki question, questions have emerged about the government's claims on the resurgence of the illegal sect, with political and security pundits reading a different script from the government.

Government officials seem to disagree on whether or not the illegal sect is back, while Opposition leaders from the Mt. Kenya region claim it is a strategy aimed at profiling the youth and inciting other communities against the Agikuyu community.

On December 2, during the funeral of Maigo Waweru, the father of Nyandarua Senator John Methu, Kenya Kwanza leaders differed on the existence of the illegal sect in front of President William Ruto and his Deputy Rigathi Gachagua.

Ndaragwa MP George Gachagua said there was no resurgence of the sect in the region, registering concerns that the profiling would harm the youth.

"Your Excellencies, there is no resurgence of the illegal sect at all, but jobless youth who need money in their pockets," he said.

But other leaders led by Laikipia Senator John Kinyua refuted MP Gachagua's assertions, saying the sect was in existence and called on the security agencies to initiate a crackdown.

Mzee Jomo Kenyatta. [File, Standard]

He warned that the political dealings of the matter and the claims that there was a resurgence of the group would give blanket condemnation to the youth.

"The criminalisation of the youth will work against the region and will leave our community in bad light in the eyes of other communities," he added.

On his part, political expert Prof. Gitile Naituli said there has never been a media report on the members of the community crying foul on the resurgence of the illegal sect, raising doubts about the speculations by the government.

This comes as 297 suspected Mungiki sect members, arrested over the weekend, were arraigned before a Nyeri court.

The accused persons, charged with being members of an illegal sect, pleaded not guilty and were each released on a bond of Sh10,000.

Their lawyer, Ndegwa Njiru, told the courts that the accused were victims of a political witch-hunt orchestrated by a senior political leader in the Mount Kenya region.

The Mungiki question comes at a time when former Mungiki leader Maina Njenga launched the Kikuyu Men Conference (KMC) two months ago, which he said would bring all the Kikuyu leaders together, including Uhuru and Gachagua.