SUMMARY
Mungiki is a secretive organisation in Kenya to which considerable political influence is attributed. It is generally seen as a religious sect based on Kikuyu tradition, but the group has strong characteristics of a criminal organisation and of a political secret society as well. The organisation claims to have over 2 million members, while other sources estimate membership at around 1 million. While most of those members are Kikuyu living in the slums of Nairobi, the organisation is believed to have members in important positions within the administration, the government, the military and the police.
The exact origins of Mungiki are unclear, yet it is known that it emerged in the 1980s in Kikuyu communities in the Rift Valley province. The group sees itself in the tradition of the Mau Mau revolution against the British colonial rule and promotes liberation from oppression and a return to indigenous traditions. Consequently, they promote female circumcision and reject “modern” fashion such as miniskirts as well as Christianity. Mungiki worship a god called Ngai supposed to be living on Mount Kenya and from whom Mungiki’s self-declared leader Maian Njenga claims to have received several visions. Mungiki religion practices a series of rituals, most prominent are the use of snuff as Holy Communion and the dreadlock hairstyle.
In the 1990s, Mungiki appeared in and around Nairobi, notably in the slums of Mathare and Kosovo, where until today their stronghold lies. Mungiki started to provide basic services such as water, raised HIV/AIDS awareness and campaigned against alcohol and drug abuse. Those initiatives were largely welcomed by the inhabitants of the slums. Simultaneously, the organization started to collect taxes and protection fees from the population and from local businesses, and step by step took over the Matatu (mini buses) business in Nairobi. This was done by harassing Matatu drivers and local business owners, including the use of force and killings. In the 2000s, this led to a series of fights against protesting Matatu drivers and against vigilante groups organized by the local population.
In addition to the religious and the economic/criminal aspects, Mungiki further has a political dimension. This is also reflected by Mungiki’s insisting of being in the tradition of the Mau Mau revolution. It is believed, yet no clear information on this exists, that in the beginning Mungiki was involved in attempts to remove than President Daniel arap Moi, ethnic Kalenjin, from power. During the 1990s, the group managed to increase its influence into the government, the police and the military, resulting in the at best lukewarm state responses against the group’s criminal activities. In the first post Moi elections in 2002, the group supported Moi’s political party, the Kenya African National Union KANU, and its loosing presidential candidate Uhuru Kenyatta. Newly elected President Mwai Kibaki quickly declared Mungiki an illegal criminal organization, and police activity against the group increased. It was during that time that Mungiki exponents founded the Kenya National Youth Alliance KNYA as their political arm.
As stated above, Mungiki is a very secretive organization. Most importantly, membership is secret and only a part of their members show visible signs of adherence such as the dreadlocks. Estimates range from a size between one to over two million members including many high ranking politicians, military and police. Membership is organized in cells of 50 members, further divided into platoons of about 10 members, and it seems as if there is a clear hierarchy and a functioning chain of command.
Today, the organization has lost some of its influence, but still remains active. The loss of influence is due to two factors. The first factor is the increased public and state opposition against Mungiki. This started with the declaration of illegality in 2002, followed by increased public protest against the group throughout the 2000s. In addition, police action against Mungiki significantly increased. This process culminated in the death of Wagacha and Irungu, the Chairman and the Treasurer of KNYA, in a shooting with police and in the imprisonment of Maian Njenga for possession of marijuana, both in 2007. The second reason for the decline of Mungiki appears to be an internal split into two groups in 2007. The line of division is not known, neither are the reasons for it. Likely, the split occurred over discussions on how to react to the pressure from the government and whether or not to accept an offer for talks by Prime Minister Odinga.
Mungiki has been involved in the one-sided category of UCDP organised violence.
