Nine Mungiki suspects killed

• Police boss declares war on sect and vows to hunt down all its members

Police on Wednesday shot dead nine armed Mungiki suspects in Nairobi as Commissioner Mathew Iteere declared war on the sect and vowed to hunt down all its members.

Nine guns and 100 rounds of ammunition were recovered on Tuesday night and Wednesday morning in a 12-hour operation across the city.

Mr Iteere accused Mungiki members of kidnappings, rape, extortion, murder, illegal possession of firearms and robbery with violence and said police will vigorously pursue criminals who have made Kenyans’ lives a nightmare.

Eight suspected Mungiki members were arrested in Ngong on Tuesday night and two AK 47 rifles were recovered.

“We would like to warn the public that the Mungiki criminal gang is responsible for several cases of kidnap, rape, extortion, illegal possession of firearms, robbery with violence and murder. These cases are under investigation around the country,” Mr Iteere said at a press conference at Vigilance House, Nairobi.

The warning comes just days after Mr Njuguna Gitau, the spokesman of the Kenya National Youth Alliance, Mungiki’s political wing, was shot dead in Nairobi.

Mungiki leader Maina Njenga, who is now born-again after murder charges against him were dropped, has said his life is in danger.

Housing assistant minister Bishop Margaret Wanjiru at whose Jesus is Alive Ministries Church Mr Njenga received salvation, has also said that she is being trailed by unknown people.

However, Mr Iteere said routine check-ups on all APs deployed to guard VIPs were going on.

“It is a false impression for the assistant minister to say that she is being trailed by unknown people when they are security officers in a government vehicle,” he said.

On Wednesday, the commissioner described the crackdown against sect members.

“Yesterday (Tuesday) alone officers recovered two AK 47 rifles, two pistols and several rounds of ammunition in Nairobi and Central Province. Today (Wednesday) in Mowlem area of Dandora, officers recovered two pistols and a submachine gun in a fierce shootout with the criminals. Five of their members were killed and one was officer injured,” he said.

Two others were shot dead in Mathare and two pistols were recovered while another two were killed in Donholm estate.

The police boss accused Mungiki of using ill-gotten money to influence individuals of low moral character to ignore their criminal activities.

“The criminal gang has been using illegally obtained money to influence individuals of low moral character to divert attention from their criminal activities. We have noted with concern a deliberate effort to dissuade hardworking police officers from carrying out their duties by continuously threatening them with prosecution by the International Criminal Court for imaginary extrajudicial executions,” the police boss said.