Outrage over Mungiki threats

The Kenyan media and human rights fraternity has expressed outrage over threats of violence issued this week by members of an outlawed sect and by two legislators against those who were "insulting" President Daniel arap Moi. The independent Daily Nation newspaper reported on Wednesday that two opposition Members of Parliament, Stephen Ndichu and Kihika Kimani, had allegedly vowed to use members of the outlawed Mungiki, a quasi-religious ethnic Kikuyu sect, to take up arms and attack those opposed to Moi's choice of Uhuru Kenyatta, son of Kenya's founding president, Jomo Kenyatta, as his preferred successor. The MPs, who were reportedly addressing a public gathering at the weekend in the country's Central Province, urged members of the outlawed sect to take up arms and attack those opposed to the Uhuru-for-president campaign, according to the paper. Moi, who is the chairman of the ruling Kenya African National Union (KANU) has in recent weeks publicly campaigned for Kenyatta's nomination as the party's presidential candidate. His choice of Kenyatta has sparked protests within KANU from other candidates seeking nomination in the party, who have argued that Kenyatta was being given undue advantage over them. On Tuesday this week, hundreds of Mungiki adherents poured onto the streets in Nairobi, the capital, to voice their support for Uhuru, an ethnic Kikuyu. They announced that no one would be allowed to "again insult President Moi", the Daily Nation reported on Wednesday. "We have already met and resolved that no one will be allowed again to abuse Moi. And I'm telling Mungiki to ready themselves," the paper quoted Kimani as saying in his native Kikuyu language. Mikewa Ogada, a human rights activist in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi, told IRIN on Wednesday that the remarks made by the two MPs and the Mungiki were worrying. He said a comprehensive statement would soon be issued to the press after a consultative meeting by human rights organisations in the country. "They [Mungiki] were exercising their rights be demonstrating. But the statements they made are meant to incite people to violence," he added. The Mungiki sect, a shadowy sect, composed mainly of unemployed youths, has since the late 1990s been accused of participating in acts of violence within Nairobi and its environs. In March this year, Police Commissioner Philemon Abong'o banned the Mungiki along with 17 other vigilante groups operating in the country, for security reasons. The ban followed attacks in Nairobi's Kariobangi residential suburb in which nearly 30 people were killed overnight by a gang of suspected Mungiki members. In a hard-hitting Wednesday editorial, entitled "Is Mungiki now legitimate?", the Daily Nation newspaper accused the two MPs of warmongering, and criticised the government for applying "double standards" to the outlawed Kikuyu sect. "Does yesterday's officially-sanctioned demo mean that Mungiki is now legitimate, because its aims now coincide with those of the power centre? Does it mean that if a banned outfit reconstitutes itself for a "worthy" political cause, then it ceases to be illegal? Does it mean that, as such an organisation "protects" the president, it can do anything under the sun with arrogant impunity?," the editorial posed. "At the Saturday meeting, when the two MPs hurled vile epithets at opponents of their favourite politicians, and advocated violence, it was obvious that they were breaking the law. Yet nothing has been done about it. This is abuse of power. It is indefensible and a complete anachronism, especially in a sensitive election year," it added. Ndichu has, however, denied making the remarks attributed to him. He told IRIN on Wednesday that he was for the Uhuru-for-president campaign, but had never advocated violence. "I don't advocate violence. When I was talking to Mungiki, I told them to be peaceful. "Hakuna matata. [a long-standing popular Kiswahili slogan meaning "there is no problem" used to portray Kenya as a peaceful nation in a turbulent neighbourhood]. It's all politics. I am a Christian. I pray that this country should have a peaceful transition. There should be no chaos at all," Ndichu said. "Journalists put a lot of words into people's mouths. They are all bashing Uhuru. But there are also those who support Uhuru," he added. The East African Standard newspaper's Wednesday editorial, entitled "Now its donkey politics", in reference to reports that the Mungiki had brought donkeys to accompany them on their demonstration, stated that the Mungiki "may have the vote, but they also have a notoriety that does not go in well with a sober and national approach to this kind of exercise. Known for their anti-women, pro-violence, traditional and ritualistic approach to most issues, Mungiki is hardly the kind of baggage any politician would want to carry on such a journey," it added.