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Police arrest 800 Mungiki members
More than 800 suspected members of the outlawed Mungiki sect were arrested during Christmas.
The operation followed reports that the sect members were planning to attack a Nairobi estate.
Police said they had received information that followers of the sect planned indiscriminate attacks to protest the arrest of their former leader Mr Ndura Waruinge.
The police on Wednesday said the operation would continue to ensure safety of city residents. The suspects are being interrogated in various police stations in the city.
Nairobi Provincial Police Officer, Mr Njue Njagi, had earlier told The Standard they were aware of the reports and that measures had been taken to avert any such attacks.
“We will have our Christmas and New Year celebrations in January because for now every police officer is out there to ensure safety of the residents,” he said.
Planned attack on a prominent politician
The planned attacks, police sources said, targeted certain communities in the city and were to be on Christmas or on New Year.
The sect followers reportedly planned to attack a prominent politician or his property. Police have since beefed up security at the politician’s residence and business interests.
The reports were said to have emanated from intelligence collected by security agencies since Waruinge was arrested last week.
Njagi assured the residents of security during the holidays, saying security personnel had been mobilised to ensure no such crimes were committed.
More police officers, he said, have been called from leave and others moved from other areas to beef up security in the city.
Njagi said police took seriously any report on security of Kenyans.
Security beefed up in city
Nairobi Provincial Commissioner, Mr James Waweru, also said security apparatus had been mobilised in the city to ensure safety of residents.
Waweru, who is the chairman of the Provincial Security Committee, said the Government was determined to crash Mungiki.
“Private security firms engaged in securing premises and private residential estates should liaise with police to patrol in the affected areas,” said the PC.
More vehicles for police patrols in the city were despatched, as a chopper kept hovering over the estates and city centre.
Waruinge was arrested last Monday following the death of two people and destruction of property in Kibera slums, where he planned to hold a public rally.
Police had declared the rally illegal when Waruinge and his team tried to force their way into the slum.
This sparked a clash between the police and locals that led to the killing of the two people and injury of five others.
Former sect leader locked up
A police post was set ablaze and vehicles stoned during the incident.
Police later summoned Waruinge and interrogated him for hours before locking him up and charging him a day later.
He was denied bail until next month when the hearing of the case will begin.
In 2002, members of the sect attacked residents of Kariobangi North killing more than 10 in an incident that sparked outrage.
The sect members have also forcefully taken charge of some matatu termini where they extort money from operators.
Internal Security Minister, Mr John Michuki, has declared war on the sect followers.
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