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"id": 217849,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/217849/?format=api",
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"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Mr. Munya",
"speaker_title": "The Assistant Minister, Office of the President",
"speaker": {
"id": 279,
"legal_name": "Joseph Konzolo Munyao",
"slug": "joseph-munyao"
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"content": " Thank you, Mr. Speaker, Sir. On 12th June, 2007, hon. Maj-Gen. Joseph Nkaisserry, the Member of Parliament for Kajiado Central rose on a point of order to seek a Ministerial Statement from the Minister of State for Administration and National Security on the issue of insecurity caused by the Mungiki menace. He wanted to know the root cause of the Mungiki menace, its leadership and given that the Government has the National Security Intelligence Service (NSIS) to provide such intelligence information, what action the Government is taking to ensure that it stamps out this menace and any other insecurity problem in the country. Mr. Speaker, Sir, I am aware that the issue of insecurity caused by the Mungiki sect is both a menace and a challenge to us. Mungiki sect is one of the many organised criminal gangs which have been terrorising the public in Nairobi City and its environs, parts of Rift Valley Province and parts of Central Province. Being a proscribed organisation, any person found engaging in the activities of the organisation shall be dealt with in accordance with the law. Mr. Speaker, Sir, I am aware that the Mungiki menace has become an issue of national concern because of the increased level of extortions, violence and bizarre atrocities, they are meting out against their victims. This and other gangs of organised criminals such as the Taliban, SunguSungu, Baghdad Boys, Kamjesh and other proscribed outfits have all been involved in unleashing terror upon innocent members of the public for selfish material gains. Mr. Speaker, Sir, the following persons have been arrested on suspicion of being the co- ordinators of the sect. One, Ibrahim Mburu Mwaga, Njoroge Wagacha, Maina Wagacha and also John Maina Njenga and Ndura Waruinge who have so far disassociated themselves from the sect. Over 1,000 other operatives have similarly been arrested. The Mungiki sect began in the 1990s in Laikipia District, Ng'arua Division. It had its basis on traditional Kikuyu religion with the followers being mostly unemployed youth. The root causes of Mungiki cannot be attributed to a single cause. Judging from its early beginning, one can deduce that the cause is both social and economic. It is social in the sense that the adherents advocated for the return of traditional Kikuyu cultural and religious practices. It is economic in the sense that the youths were faced with unemployment and hoped to solve their financial problems through social groups. However, over time, the Mungiki sect has mutated and is today a totally different organization. The Mungiki sect is purely a criminal gang whose aim and objective is to earn a living without sweating for it; by terrorising wananchi to succumb to their extortionist demands. They threaten, injure, kill and destroy the property of those who do not comply. Mr. Speaker, Sir, the Mungiki and other cartels also operate on various matatu routes, extorting money from touts and drivers. The illegal gang had gone to the extent of demanding monthly fees from residents of Mathare, purporting to provide them with security. Worse still, the illegal gang had started killing those who denounced their devilish activities, volunteer information on the sect's unlawful deeds and fail to pay the illegal fees as demanded. Mr. Speaker, Sir, the problem of poverty and unemployment is a global phenomenon and it cannot be used to justify intimidation and extortion of money from law-abiding citizens. Forty six per cent of Kenyans live 1862 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES June 19, 2007 below the poverty line and, yet, they are not criminals or extortionists. The Government's core mandate is to ensure that lives and property of citizens are safeguarded. For this reason, the Government is determined to use all legal means at its disposal to stamp out all organized criminal gangs which have been terrorising innocent members of the public. The Government is not ready to negotiate with any organized criminal gangs, cattle rustlers, carjackers, bank robbers or any others, whatsoever. The Government has put in place the following long-term and short-term measures to address the Mungiki menace and other forms of insecurity: One, on 15th March, 2005, the Government banned and outlawed Mungiki and other illegal societies posing a threat to national security. Two, the Government also intensified the crackdown on the members of the illegal gang and so far, over 5,000 suspects are facing the law. Security personnel have also been deployed in all matatu terminuses, to ensure that no further compulsory collection of illegal levies takes place and to deny the illegal sect's access to their sustenance. The Government has also been continuously conducting raids and patrols in order to flush out the illegal gangs from their hideouts. Stringent measures on traffic rules to seal the vacuum exploited by the members of the Mungiki sect in the matatu industry have also been undertaken. The Government has also taken legal action against leaders inclined on using the criminal gang for political expediency. It has also provided anonymous facilities like \"Toa Habari kwaSerikali\" boxes in Provincial Administration offices and mobile phone facilities, to ensure speedier security information alerts."
}