Nairobi — Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has assured that the government will not allow the mushrooming of the illegal Mungiki sect urging the youth to shun attempts to be initiated in the outlawed group.
Gachagua revealed that since November last year, a section of youth from the Mt Kenya region linked to the illegal sect had been terrorizing community members, especially women by soliciting taxes.
"An attempt is being made down to revive the criminal gang and two months ago they had started collecting money from touting stages, hardware's and harassing women. I don't want our leaders to be intimidated because those are few individuals," he said.
The Deputy President warned Mungiki leaders saying they will not be allowed to lure the youth to join the illegal sect urging the Ministry of Interior and National Administration to frustrate their efforts.
"We will not allow the recruiting of our youth to engage in crime. We have a responsibility to protect our young people from being abused and being used in criminal activities," Gachagua said.
"If there's any political price to be paid to protect our women and youth. I am willing to pay, if we will lose our votes, then let it be," he added.
Mungiki Arrest
This comes even as 299 suspected Mungiki sect members arrested over the weekend were today arraigned before a Nyeri court.
The accused persons who were charged with being members of an illegal sect pleaded not guilty and were each released on a bond of Sh. 10, 000.
Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters
Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox
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.
Before being arraigned, the accused persons tore the silence at the police station by singing solidarity songs and chanting freedom slogans as well.
As this happened, tens of police officers who had been strategically positioned inside and outside the station heightened security.
A crowd of onlookers had also gathered outside that station gate, as they could not be allowed in by armed police officers manning it.
The suspects were arrested on Sunday following a police operation before being locked in the station cells awaiting to be arraigned in court today.
Ndegwa Njiru, a lawyer who appeared in the company of other lawyers for the suspects said that he was yet to get a reason from authorities why his clients were yet to be taken to court.
Njiru however said that their arrest was a politically instigated move by individuals who want to silence others.
The case will be mentioned in different Nyeri courts on the 16th and 18th of this month.
