30 Naked Mungiki Men Arrested in City Swoop

The East African Standard/August 3, 2002
By Nancy Khisa and Dominic Wabala

Nairobi -- Police yesterday morning arrested over 30 half naked suspected Mungiki adherents during an initiation ritual at the Nyayo market in the city.

Nairobi police boss, Mr Stephen Kimenchu, said officers recovered three basins full of blood and some Mungiki related paraphernalia next to a bonfire within the market.

He said police on patrol spotted a large group of half naked men walking near Ngara area in the morning.

Security officers were immediately deployed and cordoned off the area before the suspects who were joined by some hawkers engaged police in running battles.

The PPO said they managed to arrest the 30 suspects, impounded metal basins with blood and other paraphernalia. Other suspects, however, escaped. "We are holding the ones that were arrested and we will have them until we decide what to charge them with," Kimenchu said.

There were running battles in the city's Nyayo market as Mungiki militants who were joined by street urchins pelted police with stones.

Police requested stall owners to close business because of their safety and fear of looting by criminals.

A combined team of anti-riot police led by Central OCPD, Japheth Koome, and his Kasarani counterpart, Simon Kipkeu, rushed to the scene. Koome confirmed that 30 people were arrested during the chaos.

Trouble started when police on patrol noticed a group of half naked men walking towards Nyayo market from Kariokor estate near the Ngara roundabout.

Koome said he dispatched officers to monitor the group which started pelting the officers with stones.