KWALE: Mombasa Republican Council boss set to be arraigned in court

MRC spokesman Mohamed Rashid Mraja seen before a Shanzu court October 30, 2012. He is set to be arraigned in court March 21, 2013 after he was arrested while sneaking back into the country from Tanzania. FILE

A top official of the Mombasa Republican Council is set to be arraigned in court Thursday after he was arrested while sneaking back into the country from Tanzania.

Rashid Mraja, MRC’s spokesman, was arrested at Lunga Lunga border point in Kwale county shortly after 7pm Wednesday.

“We arrested him at about 7.15 last evening as he returned to the country from Tanzania. We are holding him at Lunga Lunga police station but we will be taking him to court in Kwale anytime this(Thursday) morning,” said Kwale police boss Jack Ekakoro.

Mr Ekakoro said that the MRC leader will be facing charges relating to recent activities linked to the secessionist group, in which people suspected to be its members unleashed terror in parts of Coast region on the eve of the March 4 General Election.

During the attacks in Miritini in Mombasa and Chonyi and Chumani in Kwale County the gangs wielding machetes hacked to death nine police officers who were guarding designated polling centres.

A total of twenty one people including several civilians, a returning officer with the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission and a number of the raiders were killed in the incidents.

Following the incidents, police launched a crackdown on the group and arrested a number of suspected members of the group some of who have since been charged in court with the killing of four policemen at Miritini.

Mr Mraja and MRC supremo Omar Mwamnuadzi went into hiding.

On Monday, the two were reported to have left the country and crossed over into Tanzania apparently in fear of arrest. The whereabouts of Mr Mwannuadzi remains unknown.

This is the latest crackdown to target the group who members were targeted by law enforcement agencies sometime last year resulting into forceful arrests and arraignment in court on charges of inciting the public to violence.

Mr Mwamnuadzi’s arrest was the most dramatic. A large contingent of armed policemen drawn from the regular and administration police and the General Service Unit raided his home in the wee hours and arrested after a fierce gun battle in which several people, mainly his guards died.

Mr Mwamnuadzi was thoroughly beaten and seriously injured. He was later taken to court and charged with incitement. The leaders were later released on bond and the cases against them are on going.

MRC has been at loggerheads with the State for a number of years now following its clamour for the secession of the Coast region on grounds that successive governments since independence have marginalised the region and violated the rights of its residents to landownership.

Its officials publicly urged Coast communities not to register as voters and to desist from participating in any activities organised by IEBC, eliciting fears that large segments of the region’s population would heed its call and avoid taking part in the just concluded elections.

The group was at one time banned but the High Court lifted the moratorium sometime last year after a successful appeal.