Naivasha killings planned in State House, says report

The Commission received credible evidence to the effect that the violence in Naivasha between January 27 -30, 2008 was pre-planned and executed by Mungiki members who received the support of Naivasha political and business leaders.

The Commission has also evidence that government and political leaders in Nairobi, including key office holders at the highest level of government may have directly participated in the preparation of the attacks.

Central to that planning were two meetings held in State House and Nairobi Safari Club in the run up to the election with the involvement senior members of the Government and other prominent Kikuyu personalities.

Evidence produced by NSIS suggests that this agency was collecting information on the planning of violence in Naivasha by Mungiki members and politicians, at both local and national level.

As early as January 3, 2008, NSIS had information that two former MPs of the Kikuyu community were “said to be negotiating with the outlawed Mungiki with a view to have sect members assist the community to counter their attackers” and that Mungiki members were meeting “in an undisclosed location in Nairobi with a view to carrying revenge attacks on Luos/Kalenjins travelling along Nairobi-Naivasha highway on undisclosed date.”

On January 15, NSIS was informed that Mungiki members were planning to discredit the Government by instigating chaos in Nairobi and Nakuru “while others would raid Kamiti and Naivasha Prisons to rescue their colleagues held there among them (Maina) Njenga.”

This supported information presented to us in camera by a senior police officer in Naivasha who had learned on January 9 that “there was a likelihood of the so-called Mungiki making way into prison with the intention of whisking away the chairman (Mr Maina Njenga) who is currently held in that particular prison.”

Following up on this information, the Naivasha District Security and Intelligence Committee (DSIC), chaired by the district commissioner, decided on January 9, 2008 to increase patrols within the town and additional officers were sought from the Naivasha Prisons to assist the police.

The Naivasha Prisons commandant, Duncan Ogore, confirmed having received such request for assistance and having furnished some prison warders to the OCPD Naivasha to help in patrolling the town up to January 27, 2008.

On January 21, NSIS received precise information on part of the planned operation of violence in Naivasha, to the effect that Kikuyu youth in Naivasha “plan to block Nakuru-Naivasha and Gilgil-Mai Mahiu roads, to block/intercept vehicles from Western and Nyanza regions to fish out the targeted communities,” which is exactly what happened on January 27.

According to evidence presented by the KNCHR, local politicians received support from Kikuyu elite from outside Naivasha to mobilise local jobless youth who were bolstered by Mungiki followers from Nairobi and Central Province.

KNCHR had evidence of two planning meetings held on January 23 and 26 that a local hotel where influential Naivasha business people plotted the violence and paid between Sh100 and Sh200 to the youth, who would participate in the attacks targeting mainly members of the Luo community.

Political activist

Information of these planning meetings and participants was corroborated by individual witnesses, including two Naivasha social workers and activists.

According to witnesses, evidence that Mungiki were involved in violence in Naivasha includes a high level of coordination of the attackers, many of whom were not Naivasha residents, as well as inside intelligence obtained from Mungiki members involved in the violence.