Share this
Njenga links police raids to Mukami’s burial
- Contingents of police officers yesterday raided Njenga’s homes in Lavington and Karen in Nairobi and his rural residence in Nyandarua.
- Njenga said the teams which arrived simultaneously at 4am at the three homes told workers they were looking for him.
Former Mungiki leader Maina Njenga has linked Friday raids at his homes in Nairobi and Nyandarua to state threats to ensure he doesn’t attend Saturday burial of Mukami Kimathi.
Mukami is the widow of freedom fighter Dedan Kimathi. She died last week and is set to be buried Saturday in Njabini, Nyandarua county.
Njenga says state operatives do not want him to attend the funeral that will also be graced by top government officials including President William Ruto and his deputy Rigathi Gachagua.
Contingents of police officers yesterday raided Njenga’s homes in Lavington and Karen in Nairobi and his rural residence in Nyandarua.
Njenga said the teams which arrived simultaneously at 4am at the three homes told workers they were looking for him.
He said on the phone the officers knocked the homes and were let in before they picked a number of workers who were at his Lavington home.
He added he was safe somewhere he did not disclose.
“They said they were looking for me. I do not know why but I see it as politics and harassment, which should stop,” Njenga told the Star on the phone.
There was no immediate response from police headquarters over the claims.
“I was at the home of Kimathi on Thursday and told the family we will come with baba (Raila Odinga) and I think this is the reason they are doing this. It is a funeral and let it be,” he added.
He said he was in hiding and asked the harassment to stop and his workers be released.
“What have they done? What have I done? They can send summons to me if they want me but not raid homes and harass innocent people.”
He said the era of using police to harass those with opposite political views ended and urged President Ruto to rein in those behind the development.
Ruto is among those expected at the state funeral for Mukami who died on May 4 after an illness.
Njenga is not new to such police harassment because of his former tag to the Mungiki sect.
He says he stopped being a leader of the group. He has been arrested and charged several times as part of efforts to link him to the group.
There will be a public viewing of the body on Saturday morning ahead of the public funeral ceremony, observing the strict protocol put in place to honour people of national significance.
Mukami will be the ninth Kenyan accorded a state funeral.
The government will fully fund and ensure a decent burial for Mukami.
The government has already set up a national funeral committee to plan Mukami’s burial, which is chaired by the Interior PS Raymond Omollo.
Her husband Kimathi, born Kimathi wa Waciuri, was a senior military and spiritual leader of the Mau Mau uprising, who led the armed struggle against the British colonial rule in Kenya in the 1950’s until 1956 when he was captured and executed a year later.
He is believed to have been born in 1920.
