•Monday, May 21, 2007
I have been receiving numerous insistent calls from a former classmate. We haven't met for years. He wanted us to meet urgently. When I get such calls I always insist on the agenda since I am suspicious of old mates who have found this urgency to contact me to do business.
It is worse when the meeting venue proposed is in downtown Nairobi and the caller has no specific job other than being in 'juakali' somewhere in Kirinyaga road. After ignoring the meeting requests for some months, I got another call last week from a former schoolmate, same school as the other one too. He is also in 'jua kali' . On more questioning these two former pals look like they work together in the whatever that they do.
Last weekend I travelled to the village and chanced to attend a funeral of a young guy who "died mysteriously" in Nairobi. He was rumoured to be in the hawking business though his means and lifestyle suggested some regular flow of golden eggs.
That is where I learnt that, there is a group of my former mates that have ganged up into a gang that extorts money by hook or crook. The young guy who died, according to the villagers, was a member of that gang whose presumed members were also present in the ceremony. I had a hard time letting myself off their hook during the burial. What I consider a 'chilling' though veiled message was delivered "Umekataa kututafutia kazi, sawa tu, tutajitafutia". The villagers, in whispers, have this well kept suspicion that the said gang also belongs to the dreaded cult that is spreading terror within Nairobi and its environs.
Another pal later told me in addition to the reported kidnappings of children for ransom by the dreaded Mungiki sect, there is more. Gainfully employed persons are being blackmailed to be extorted monetary. Businessmen were roped in ages ago.
A pal whom you haven't heard from for years, and is a sect member initiates contact with you. Jobless and living poorly, he starts by borrowing small amounts here and there. This builds to you giving him money for survival with no borrowing intent. Within this time, they get to know where you live, work, where you hang out and your close pals. This graduates to blackmail where every month you are expected to 'cough out' something to them. Dare you report or fail to give them money, they know where your old folks or loved ones are, a fact they keep reminding you. Obviously, they don't intend to one day call on them to say hello if you give them up or fail to meet their demands.
As reported in the press, those who have dared to report to the police about children kidnapping are "well" advised by the police to comply to be at peace. This sect means "business" and are oathed to it!
As for the nagging calls, I had to change my number, though I know its just a matter of time before they catch up. He could be genuine about the meeting but I don't want to take chances. I am extremely paranoid.
Kenyans have a reason to fear and be paranoid of this sect. Who will save us? The more force that is being exerted on the Mungiki by the police the more ruthless they are becoming. What is the winning formula to the Mungiki war? Where can Kenya get more than a million jobs to gainfully employ these youths and keep them busy from barbaric tendencies?
It is worse when the meeting venue proposed is in downtown Nairobi and the caller has no specific job other than being in 'juakali' somewhere in Kirinyaga road. After ignoring the meeting requests for some months, I got another call last week from a former schoolmate, same school as the other one too. He is also in 'jua kali' . On more questioning these two former pals look like they work together in the whatever that they do.
Last weekend I travelled to the village and chanced to attend a funeral of a young guy who "died mysteriously" in Nairobi. He was rumoured to be in the hawking business though his means and lifestyle suggested some regular flow of golden eggs.
That is where I learnt that, there is a group of my former mates that have ganged up into a gang that extorts money by hook or crook. The young guy who died, according to the villagers, was a member of that gang whose presumed members were also present in the ceremony. I had a hard time letting myself off their hook during the burial. What I consider a 'chilling' though veiled message was delivered "Umekataa kututafutia kazi, sawa tu, tutajitafutia". The villagers, in whispers, have this well kept suspicion that the said gang also belongs to the dreaded cult that is spreading terror within Nairobi and its environs.
Another pal later told me in addition to the reported kidnappings of children for ransom by the dreaded Mungiki sect, there is more. Gainfully employed persons are being blackmailed to be extorted monetary. Businessmen were roped in ages ago.
A pal whom you haven't heard from for years, and is a sect member initiates contact with you. Jobless and living poorly, he starts by borrowing small amounts here and there. This builds to you giving him money for survival with no borrowing intent. Within this time, they get to know where you live, work, where you hang out and your close pals. This graduates to blackmail where every month you are expected to 'cough out' something to them. Dare you report or fail to give them money, they know where your old folks or loved ones are, a fact they keep reminding you. Obviously, they don't intend to one day call on them to say hello if you give them up or fail to meet their demands.
As reported in the press, those who have dared to report to the police about children kidnapping are "well" advised by the police to comply to be at peace. This sect means "business" and are oathed to it!
As for the nagging calls, I had to change my number, though I know its just a matter of time before they catch up. He could be genuine about the meeting but I don't want to take chances. I am extremely paranoid.
Kenyans have a reason to fear and be paranoid of this sect. Who will save us? The more force that is being exerted on the Mungiki by the police the more ruthless they are becoming. What is the winning formula to the Mungiki war? Where can Kenya get more than a million jobs to gainfully employ these youths and keep them busy from barbaric tendencies?
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3 comments:
very scary I wish you well
Am fairly certain that if the GoK wanted to get rid of Mungiki, it would. It serves certain people's interests to have it around spreading terror.
@kip, it is very terrifying. God help us. Thanks.
@prousette, that is the worrying bit. There is a lot of indecisiveness, double speak and half hearted attempts by the GoK.
However, what is the best strategy to eliminate the sect?
For one, identifying who is a member is a hard task. If one is identified, he would rather die than disclose their members or operations.
The public is uncooperative for the simple reason that you could be disclosing a suspected sect member to a police officer who is a member of the gang. That is a death wish.
If they are identified, the wheels of justice are very slow and would be hard to pin them down on the basis of current legislation.
A blanket order to kill all of them, if identified, would not go far. The human rights movement and claims of innocent youths been killed will fill the airwaves. Some MPs and ministers have been quoted in the media as claiming that police is unfairly harassing their youth constituents in the name of Mungiki crackdown. I see us in a very helpless state.