Mungiki Sect Members Kill Two in City

The East African Standard (Nairobi)/September 24, 2002
By Dominic Wabala

Nairobi -- Two people died after night-long skirmishes between two rival groups within Mathare slums.

The two people were hacked to death with pangas, axes and other crude weapons by a rival gang believed to be Mungiki sect members that confronted them as they marched home from Sunday's Rainbow Alliance rally at Uhuru Park.

The dead were fished out of the filthy Nairobi River by police and the bodies transferred to the City Mortuary awaiting post mortem examination.

Several others were rushed to Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH) by St John's Ambulance personnel who were called to take the injured to hospital.

Twenty-eight-year old welding engineer, Raphael Oyando Odero narrowly escaped death but sustained serious injuries when he met the gang. He sustained deep cuts in the head and arms but was rushed to a clinic by good Samaritans.

Odero said that he was going to the shop when he was confronted by the group which asked him to identify himself. "They suddenly attacked me with pangas, axes, rungus and other crude weapons. I tried to block the blows but they chopped my hands," narrated Odero at the Geomayogo Medical Clinic and Maternity in Mathare Area 4A.

Heavily-armed police officers led by Nairobi Provincial Police Officer, Stephen Kimenchu, Provincial CID boss, Gabriel Mutunga and the deputy Kasarani Police boss, Ongere Sagala rushed to the area and quickly restored order.

According to a source within the depot which borders the slum, a gang from Kosovo slum area confronted a group returning home after the rally, hacking anyone on sight.

Police Commissioner, Philemon Abong'o confirmed that two people died and seven others were seriously injured. He revealed that police were deployed to the area immediately and arrested three of the assailants. The rest managed to escape the police dragnet.

Meanwhile, reports reaching us yesterday evening indicate that a man was killed and four others were left in critical condition. This was after a gang raided Othaya matatu terminus yesterday morning.

Francis Muturi Ngunjiri, aged 37, died at Nyeri Provincial General Hospital where he had been taken after the attack that occurred at 9 am.

He had sustained deep panga cuts on the head and a stab wound through the ribs.

Others who are admitted at the same hospital in critical condition were identified as Gerald Waweru Gatuguta, Patrick Mwangi and Owen Taiti.

Several other victims who sustained injuries were treated and discharged at the Othaya Health Centre.