President Mwai Kibaki vowed on Friday to hunt down criminals from the outlawed Mungiki gang blamed for a wave of killings and gun-battles rocking Kenya in the volatile build-up to an election expected later this year.
"No one has the right to kill his fellow citizen," Kibaki said in a national address just hours after five more murders, including one in his own constituency in central Kenya. "Even if you hide, we will find you and kill you," he added in a speech that did not name Mungiki but was clearly directed at the shadowy gang which claims thousands of members, particularly among unemployed youths.
First emerging in the 1990s, leaders of Mungiki, whose name means "multitude" in the Kikuyu tribal language, use prayers and archaic rituals to bond members. The group was banned in 2002 after Mungiki members armed with knives and clubs killed more than 20 people in a Nairobi slum.
Many believe corrupt politicians, and even some police officers, have been in league with the gang, particularly in setting up extortion rackets. Mungiki leaflets found in Nairobi outskirts in recent days have used revolutionary language to mobilise support. Analysts say the group is trying to gain popularity with anti-colonial and anti-establishment slogans rooted in the Mau Mau rebellion.
"Wake Up!! Wake Up!!...The government is unable, mass should now take control. Arise! Arise! Stand up for your rights," said one leaflet. "If one youth is killed, we shall kill 10 police."
In his speech at Nairobi's Nyayo sports stadium to mark the 44th anniversary of Kenya's self-rule, Kibaki told an audience of tens of thousands that those living alongside killers and criminals would be protected if they gave information. "Criminals are known to people who live in our homes and communities. ... You know them, so tell them we will find them."
POLICE ON ALERT: Authorities say they have already rounded up thousands of suspected Mungiki members since the start of the year. But there is widespread skepticism they are reaching the real leaders.
While Kenyans largely applaud Kibaki for economic advances and the introduction of free primary education, rampant corruption and crime weigh heavily on his prospects of re-election in a poll expected to be held in December.
Tribal and criminal violence traditionally worsens during election years in Kenya, with politicians often blamed for manipulating mobs to harm rivals. Mungiki activities have only this year taken on a directly anti-Kibaki tone.
In recent weeks, Mungiki members have battled with minibus operators who are resisting demands for protection money for the lucrative transport business, which the state estimates nets more than 90 million shillings ($1.35 million) a day nation-wide.
In a grisly twist, villagers in central Kenya last week found severed heads placed on poles and body parts scattered in bushes in an attack blamed on Mungiki. Amid rumours of a Mungiki rally in Nairobi to rival the Kibaki speech, hundreds of police fanned across the capital to prevent trouble on Friday. Officers gathered from early morning at the Kamukunji grounds in one of Nairobi's slums, armed with AK-47 rifles, helmets, shields, tear-gas canisters and clubs. "We hope they don't come, this is too close to home," said one local, who asked not to be named as he scanned the bushes and tin huts for any sign of trouble.
Comments
Comments are closed.