Nairobi — Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki has vowed ruthless force against leaders enlisting the youth into proscribed groups including the Maina Njenga-led Mungiki sect.
Kindiki noted Sunday that the Mt. Kenya region had suffered deeply from illegal groupings such as Mungiki in the past warning that political leaders who are trying to revive the group will not be entertained.
He was speaking during a church service at the ACK Siakago Cathedral in Embu's Mbeere North Constituency.
"Any person or any leader, regardless of their stature or rank, present or past leader, elected or not elected, trying to recruit our young people to join proscribed organizations like Mungiki, we are coming for you," Kindiki warned amid a probe on Njenga, who enjoys support of leaders in the opposition Azimio Coalition.
The Interior CS cautioned that the government will not allow the country to slide back to where it was 20 years ago when Mungiki and other proscribed groups terrorized citizens.
"Any attempts to revive these criminal gangs will be dealt with the same ruthlessness as the fight against banditry," he added.
CS Kindiki pointed out that in as much as Kenya is a democratic country, the government will not allow anyone to incite or hurt the country's unity and stability.
Kenyatta-led defiance
He added that anyone who tries to hurt the unity and stability of the country "must be rejected, whether they are in opposition or not."
The Interior CS stated that being in opposition "is not a license to incite disunity."
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Kindiki's comment comes three days after police lobbed teargas to disperse Njenga's supporters who had gathered at the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) headquarters where he was being questioned.
Traffic along the road was brought to a standstill as the supporters broke in songs.
Njenga arrived at the DCI headquarters on May 25 for interrogation over the reported recovery of two firearms and rolls of bhang at his home in Nakuru County.
He was accompanied by Azimio La Umoja One Kenya coalition leaders Martha Karua and Eugene Wamalwa, a key associate of retired President Uhuru Kenyatta.
DCI had announced the deployment of a special team of detectives to find the ex-sect leader whom they said went into hiding.
DCI boss Mohamed Amin said three rounds of 9mm blank ammunition were found hidden in one of the rooms in Njenga's house.
"Detectives based in Nakuru County are looking for ex-Mungiki leader Maina Njenga, in relation to the recovery of two firearms and over 90 rolls of bhang, found at a home linked to him," a statement from the DCI indicated.
"In the raid conducted at Ngomongo village in Dundori ward, the officers who arrested 8 suspects aged between 37 and 54 also found three rounds of 9mm blank ammunition hidden in one of the rooms. One of the firearms recovered was a home made pistol capable of firing while the other one was a Tokarev whose serial number had been defaced."
Njenga had alleged a police raid at three of his homes in Nairobi, Nakuru and Laikipia on May 12.
