Mungiki Boss Charged in Machakos

The East African Standard (Nairobi)/November 27, 2001
By Wambua Kavila

Mungiki sect leader Ibrahim Ndura Wariungi alias Noriega was yesterday charged in a Machakos court with promoting warlike activities.

He denied the charges and was released on a Sh 500,000 bond with one surety of a similar amount.

He could not immediately raise the cash and was returned to custody. The sect leader appeared before Senior Principal Magistrate Joseph Karanja accused of promoting warlike activities on July 23 at 2.45 pm in Dandora Phase 3 which resulted in the death of five people.

He faced a separate charge of promoting warlike undertakings on diverse dates between October 15 and November 19 by making preparations and aiding warlike activities against Matatu Welfare Association members and the general public.

Wearing a dark blue sports jacket and in a pensive mood, Wariungi who was represented by Machakos lawyer Bernard Mung'ata simply answered, uongo mtupu (pure lies) to the charges. The prosecutor, Chief Inspector Michael Mukui produced in court an affidavit by one Dominic Mbatha of CID Langata objecting to bail saying more serious charges could be brought against Waruingi.

The prosecutor argued that Wariunge had committed an offence while on a court bond and was likely to continue committing more offences.

But lawyer Mung'ata told the court that his client had been held for seven days and police should have completed investigations before charging him.

The advocate said the affidavit by the CID officer was irrelevant and other matters pending in court against Waruingi could not be used as grounds to deny him bond.

The magistrate ruled that the right to bond could not be denied unless there were external compelling grounds.

He said that even if the accused was facing other offences, his guilt was yet to be determined and other pending cases against him were no grounds to deny him bond.