400 Mungiki suspects charged over slum chaos

Over 400 alleged members of the outlawed Mungiki sect were yesterday charged with causing mayhem in the vast Mathare slums last week which left several people dead.

Charged with various categories of crimes ranging from being in possession of narcotics, preparing to execute violent robbery, murder and stealing from persons, the suspects denied being members of the outlawed sect.

The accused were arraigned before the Makadara Senior Principal Magistrate Mrs Grace Nzioka, where they also denied being arrested while in preparation to commit murder in the country’s second largest slum with a population of about a million people. The suspects applied to be released on bond, saying the offence was bailable.

Prosecuting Chief Inspector James Manuni, informed Mrs Nzioka that a combined effort of security personnel drawn from Kasarani and Buruburu Police divisions, nabbed the suspects in a swoop following a curfew announced by the State security agents.

He however did not object to their plea for bail, but urged the court to order the suspects to deposit securities before they are admitted to bond. The magistrate fixed the case for hearing between December 19, 2006 and January 26, 2007. The suspects were nabbed from Mathare, Huruma Estate, Pangani Eastleigh , Kariobangi North and Dandora estates.

They could not deposit bond securities and were remanded in prison custody as their relatives made efforts to bail them out.

Last week skirmishes rocked Mathare slums living a trail of murders, blood letting and arson, leaving scores displaced.

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