114:. Inevitably, the group's actions led to involvement with politicians eager for more support. In 2002, Mungiki backed losing candidates in elections and felt the wrath of the government. The group's activities became less visible although it still received revenue from protection taxes, electricity taxes and water taxes. There have been unconfirmed allegations that Mungiki has links to both the old
366:
283:
235:-Kenya reported that in the five years up to August 2007, Kenyan police had killed over 8,000 people in crackdowns against the Mungiki sect, with further 4,000 people still missing. These allegations were based on interviews, autopsies, and police reports, and were widely circulated both in Kenya and through an appeal to the
347:
According to relatives, Wagacha and Irungu were driving to
Naivasha Prison, where Mungiki leader Maina Njenga is serving a jail term, to consult him over possible talks with the government, proposed by Prime Minister Odinga. The relatives said that elements in the government are using the police to
343:
In 2007, Mungiki was rumoured to have fractured into two groups. In spite of the peace gestures of Prime
Minister Raila Odinga, the dramatic murders of the top Mungiki leaders continued, and police also denied involvement in the assassinations. The Chairman and Treasurer of the Kenya National Youth
81:
tribe at the time. Mungiki arguably has its roots in discontent arising from severe unemployment and landlessness arising from Kenya's rapid population growth, with many disaffected unemployed youth attracted to an organisation giving them a sense of purpose and cultural and political identity, as
351:
At least 500 bodies of suspected
Mungiki members have since been discovered in thickets outside Nairobi in the past year. Police say that the recent mysterious deaths of Mungiki leaders were a result of infighting between various Mungiki factions over control of funds and differing political
490:
A commission set up to investigate the 2008 post-election violence reported that
Mungiki members were suspected of perpetrating the violence. The Waki Report states that a meeting was held in Statehouse to coordinate revenge on Luos and Kalenjins.
454:
during a meeting with
General Kibwana and other top generals at the Department of Defence headquarters in Nairobi. The issue of Land Rovers cropped up when Murungaru made his first familiarisation tour of the DoD, a month after Narc came to power.
174:
Every resident of the slum pays a variable sum of money to the organization, in exchange for protection against theft and property damage. In addition, the gang "mans" public toilets, and charges a fee for use of the facilities. Such acts of
470:
report on the scandal. Senior DoD officials involved in the cartel were said to have held secret talks shortly before Dr. Murungaru arrived to plan their next course of action. The report and its findings have never been made public.
192:
alone. In 2002 the sect was banned and in
February 2003, the sect was in the news following two days of clashes with Nairobi police which left at least two officers dead and 74 sect members in police custody.
200:
drivers, conductors, and
Mungiki defectors, and those who refuse their recruitment, drawing an armed response from Kenyan security forces, who stormed the Mathare area. Some 100 people died in the operation.
446:
was asked to investigate the scandal in person and present his findings to the office of the
President. The report was to detail the value of the ten vehicles, who got them, and why they were disposed of.
269:
was acquitted on
October 27, 2009 as murder charges on him were withdrawn for lack of evidence. About a week later Mungiki spokesman David Gitau Njuguna was shot dead in Nairobi by unknown assailants.
129:
Many members state that at the height of its influence, the group could claim as many as 500,000 members and received substantial sums of money. Many
Kenyans debate whether the group's influence in
344:
Alliance (Maina Njenga faction) were gunned down at Uplands after a car chase on the Nairobi – Naivasha highway. The Kenya National Youth Alliance (KNYA) served as Mungiki’s political wing.
204:
Mungiki has also been linked to the murder of a family in the United States in which Mrs Jane Kurua, 47, and her two daughters were killed; the case is still under investigation by the
103:(private minibus taxi) industry. With the move to Nairobi came the development of a cell structure within the group. Each cell contains 50 members and each cell is then divided into 5
246:
linked the police to the execution of 500 Mungiki over the previous five months. The police described these reports as fictitious. On 5 March 2009, Oscar Foundation Director
618:
1000:
494:
The report also recommends that people cited, including minister Uhuru Kenyatta, and Muthaura should face a local judiciary or the International Criminal Court(ICC).
73:
According to one of Mungiki's founders, the group began in the late 1980s as a local militia in the highlands to protect Kikuyu farmers in disputes over land with
990:
255:
243:
65:, or Kenyan mafia due to its organizational system. They have been newsworthy for associations with ethnic violence and anti-government resistance.
208:. On 12 July 2007 Kenyan authorities reported that Mungiki decapitated and mutilated the body of a two-year-old boy, possibly as part of a ritual.
110:
Using the matatus as a springboard, the group moved into other areas of commerce, such as rubbish collection, construction, and even protection
439:
216:
413:
330:
38:. Specifics of their origin and doctrines are unclear. What is clear is that they favour a return to indigenous African traditions.
959:
995:
171:" or a criminal network that contributes to, and feeds off of, an environment plagued by a state of perpetual security crisis.
715:
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53:. The ideology of the group is characterised by revolutionary rhetoric, Kikuyu traditions, and a disdain for Kenyan
510:; all initiates have to swear a standard oath ending with the words "May I die if I desert or reveal our secrets."
122:
in the current government. In fact, because of the cult's extreme secrecy, little is known about its membership or
395:
380:
312:
297:
519:
387:
304:
179:, along with the general lack of effective local law enforcement, have generally enraged residents of Mathare.
803:, "Kenya: Murder of human rights defenders, Mr Oscar Kamau Kingara and Mr John Paul Oulu "GPO"", 6 March 2009"
985:
619:"Mungiki, Kenya's violent youth gang, serves many purposes: how identity, politics and crime keep it alive"
666:
348:
ensure negotiations fail, hence the killings. However, police spokesman Eric Kiraithe denied the claims.
34:. The religion, which apparently originated in the late 1980s, is secretive and bears some similarity to
458:
Murungaru, who as security minister was responsible for the military, reportedly expressed shock that a
119:
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430:
came into power, the government gave the military leadership three days to explain why ten of their
247:
163:
158:
35:
266:
695:
475:
643:"World's most dangerous gangs. Mungiki: Advocates of female circumcision and tobacco sniffing"
86:
450:
Military sources at the time said that the orders were issued by National Security minister
435:
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503:
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451:
94:
78:
31:
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196:
In June 2007, the Mungiki embarked upon a murderous campaign to instil fear by beheading
167:
article vividly describes Mungiki operations in that slum as essentially constituting a "
89:
fighters who fought British colonial rule. During the 1990s, the group had migrated into
953:
524:
251:
42:
844:
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The Department of Defence has since been converted into the Ministry of Defense, with
974:
74:
54:
755:
262:, had publicly accused their organisation of being a fundraising front for Mungiki.
211:
It is alleged that Mungiki members participated in targeted violence against ethnic
467:
259:
228:
111:
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positions. The Mungiki leadership, however, denied the split within their ranks.
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154:
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More than 50 people died in 2002 in clashes involving the sect and owners of
57:, which is seen as moral corruption. Mungiki is often referred to as Kenya’s
507:
176:
123:
502:
Many former Mungiki members are believed to have fled the country seeking
466:
activities by diverting the Land Rovers to the Mungiki, as detailed in a
254:
were shot and killed while en route to a meeting at the offices of the
189:
142:
130:
104:
90:
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183:
150:
99:
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and with forces loyal to the government, which was dominated by the
356:
Department of Defence and National Intelligence Service involvement
23:
667:"5 Notorious Gangs that Terrorized City Streets Around the World"
146:
734:, "Two-year-old boy beheaded for African ritual", 12 July 2007"
434:
were given to the outlawed Mungiki sect. In the lead up to the
823:
359:
276:
205:
149:, where poverty and crime are pronounced, but it is also in
903:
The Standard, November 6, 2009: Mungiki spokesman shot dead
258:
in Nairobi. Earlier that day, a government spokesman,
462:
of high-ranking officers could have been involved in
696:"Might Drink Your Blood, but Otherwise Not Bad Guys"
45:
and all things that they believe to be trappings of
161:Waithaka, Dagoretti, Kinoo and Westlands. A recent
30:, ) means "a united people" or "multitude" in the
541:
539:
85:The founders supposedly modelled Mungiki on the
478:as Minister of Defence from 2008 to 2013, then
756:"Kenyan Gang Revives Amid Political Disarray"
8:
482:as Cabinet Secretary for Defence from 2013.
93:with the acceptance of the government under
597:"Brutal Kenyan Sect Aims to Provoke Strife"
394:. Unsourced material may be challenged and
311:. Unsourced material may be challenged and
868:"Murder of activists widens rift in Kenya"
957:, "Meet the Mungiki, Kenya’s Cosa Nostra"
689:
687:
414:Learn how and when to remove this message
331:Learn how and when to remove this message
256:Kenya National Commission on Human Rights
244:Kenya National Commission on Human Rights
1001:Religiously motivated violence in Kenya
617:Frederiksen, Bodil Folke (2024-02-11).
590:
588:
586:
535:
233:Oscar Foundation Free Legal Aid Clinic
141:Mungiki operates most extensively in
7:
595:McCrummen, Stephanie (2 July 2007).
392:adding citations to reliable sources
309:adding citations to reliable sources
217:December 2007 presidential elections
694:Gettleman, Jeffrey (22 June 2007).
606:– via www.washingtonpost.com.
569:"Deadly shoot-out with Kenyan sect"
22:is a banned ethnic organisation in
16:Banned ethnic organization in Kenya
991:Anti-Christian sentiment in Africa
824:"The Times & The Sunday Times"
777:"Kenyan police 'killed thousands'"
14:
547:"Kenyan sect 'beheads' policeman"
893:Mungiki sect head freed in Kenya
364:
281:
215:around the time of the disputed
754:Childress, Sarah (1 May 2008).
1:
506:, as the sect does not allow
137:Extortion and ethnic violence
133:is waning or is on the rise.
891:BBC News, October 27, 2009:
845:"Rule of law reels in Kenya"
237:International Criminal Court
855:– via news.bbc.co.uk.
787:– via news.bbc.co.uk.
579:– via news.bbc.co.uk.
557:– via news.bbc.co.uk.
145:, Nairobi's second largest
1017:
866:Rice, Xan (7 March 2009).
440:Chief of the General Staff
426:In early 2003, soon after
250:and Programme Coordinator
97:and began to dominate the
520:Ethnic conflicts in Kenya
765:– via www.wsj.com.
705:– via NYTimes.com.
931:"Uhuru Muigai Kenyatta"
996:Anti-Western sentiment
981:Rebel groups in Kenya
671:HistoryCollection.co
388:improve this section
305:improve this section
227:In November 2007, a
118:government and some
935:TRIAL International
801:Frontline Defenders
549:. 17 September 2007
248:Oscar Kamau Kingara
164:Inter Press Service
962:2007-06-20 at the
779:. 25 November 2007
476:Mohamed Yusuf Haji
273:Factional fighting
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265:Mungiki chairman
231:group called the
36:mystery religions
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452:Chris Murungaru
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32:Kikuyu language
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847:. 6 March 2009
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872:the Guardian
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717:Nation Media
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468:Daily Nation
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386:Please help
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303:Please help
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267:Maina Njenga
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260:Alfred Mutua
241:
229:human-rights
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112:racketeering
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51:Christianity
49:, including
41:They reject
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27:
26:. The name (
19:
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877:26 February
851:26 February
829:26 February
808:26 February
783:26 February
761:26 February
739:26 February
732:News.com.au
701:26 February
602:26 February
575:26 February
553:26 February
432:Land Rovers
428:Mwai Kibaki
404:August 2011
169:street gang
157:County and
59:Cosa Nostra
47:colonialism
975:Categories
940:2020-05-26
677:2020-05-26
652:2020-05-26
628:2024-09-04
531:References
464:subversive
321:March 2009
508:defection
375:does not
292:does not
177:extortion
124:hierarchy
960:Archived
514:See also
442:General
155:Murang'a
105:platoons
79:Kalenjin
438:, then
396:removed
381:sources
313:removed
298:sources
190:Nairobi
185:matatus
143:Mathare
131:Nairobi
91:Nairobi
87:Mau Mau
69:History
28:mũngĩkĩ
20:Mungiki
504:asylum
460:cartel
198:matatu
151:Kayole
100:matatu
75:Maasai
63:Yakuza
917:(PDF)
498:Exile
24:Kenya
879:2018
853:2018
831:2018
810:2018
785:2018
763:2018
741:2018
703:2018
604:2018
577:2018
555:2018
379:any
377:cite
296:any
294:cite
213:Luos
147:slum
116:KANU
390:by
307:by
206:FBI
188:in
120:MPs
977::
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