This archive report was first published on 12 September 2019.
On Tuesday night, a group of criminals brandishing crude weapons laid siege to Ichaweri village, just a few meters away from President Uhuru Kenyatta's home. The gang, identified as Mungiki, beheaded the son of a family in the village.
The attack is the latest in a series of incidents that have intensified in the past month, sparking concerns about the motive behind the violence. As the country heads into the 2022 elections, some are questioning whether the attacks are an attempt to paint President Kenyatta as a failure in his own backyard.
Residents of Ichaweri and Ng'enda villages took to the streets on Wednesday to protest the rising insecurity. The protests come after a warning from the National Police Service in November last year, which stated that certain individuals were seeking to revive criminal gangs in Murang'a County.
According to the Kandara MP, illegal gangs such as Mungiki, 42 Brothers, Usiku Sacco, and Gaza are recruiting newly circumcised men and 'punishing' those who refuse to join them.
