Public Service Cabinet Secretary Moses Kuria pleaded with his Interior counterpart Kithure Kindiki not to grant shoot to kill order against the reported resurging Mungiki gang.
In a statement posted on X formerly known as Twitter, Moses Kuria advised Kindiki not to bow to pressure from a section of Mt Kenya leaders who were pushing him to declare a full-blown crackdown on the sect.
He however requested him to follow the required legal channels to address the resurgence of Mungiki in the Mt Kenya region.
“President William Ruto is a staunch believer in the rule of law and constitutionalism. Dear Prof Kithure Kindiki, kindly refuse the shoot-to-kill request by Mt Kenya elected women leaders, “Kuria’s statement read in part.
“Everyone, even suspected Mungikis deserve fair trial and presumption of innocence. Michuki was right in many ways but not on this one,” he added.
Kuria’s statement came after nine elected women leaders from the Mt Kenya region asked the Interior Cabinet Secretary to intervene over the resurgence of Mungiki.
They claimed the gang leaders had held meetings to recruit followers in the Kenol area of Murang’a county and are planning to hold similar meetings in Nyeri and Nakuru counties in the coming weeks.
“We MPs drawn from the Mt Kenya region have noted with concern the recent attempts to revive and sanitize the activities of the outlawed Mungiki sect by clandestine forces aimed at destabilizing the peace and tranquillity in our region and the nation at large,” the legislators said in a statement read by Nyandarua Woman Rep Faith Gitau.
Mary Wamaua, the Maragua MP, demanded that the government take action against the gangs which, she said, were creating fear among the people especially those involved in matatu business.
“We hereby demand that Prof Kithure Kindiki, CS Interior, immediately cracks down on any resurgence of Mungiki as has been recently witnessed on several occasions,” she said.
Other legislators who were a the press conference were Jane Kagiri (Laikipia Woman Rep), Alice Ng’ang’a (Thika Town), Ann Muratha (Kiambu Woman Rep), Irene Njoki (Bahati MP) Jayne Kihara (Naivasha MP) Rahab Mukami (Nyeri Woman Rep) and Pamela Njoki (Embu Woman Rep).
CS Kindiki has yet to respond to their claims and requests.
