Thursday, February 8, 2024 - There was drama in a Murang'a court as 21 Agikuyu elders charged with being members of the outlawed Mungiki sect broke into song and dance in what is perceived as a mockery to Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, who has vowed to end Mungiki menace once and for all in Mt. Kenya.
The elders were arrested on December 31, 2023,
at Mukurwe Wa Nyagathanga shrine, where they were attending a religious
ceremony.
Dressed in traditional colours, the elders
took advantage of a 20-minute court adjournment and started singing the Kenya
Land and Freedom Army (KLFA); Mau Mau's songs.
They intimated in the lyrics that they were
descendants of the Gilkuyu and not criminals, as alleged by President William
Ruto’s government.
Attempts by the court clerks to stop them were
in vain as they raised their arms in solidarity until they ended the song. The
elders had been arraigned before senior principal magistrate Edwin Nyaga.
However, the case did not proceed as the
prosecution requested the court for more time to bring evidence against the
accused.
The elders' lawyers, led by Ndegwa Njiru,
Jeremiah Kioni, and Kinuthia Mwangi, claimed there was a well-planned move to
deter the Agikuyu from practising their culture.
"This is a case of political persecution,
and it is now rampant among the Gikuyu community," Kioni said.
Wambugu Nyamu, an elder from Nyeri county,
said the Kikuyu council of elders raised money to help the elders.
"Kikuyu council of elders where I am a
member, we had to raise money to make sure these people are presented," he
said.
James Nene, another elder, said most ethnic Gikuyu were afraid of practising their culture for fear of reprisals.
"Currently, no Kikuyu can meet with the intention of continuing their
Kikuyu traditions without fear," he said.
The Kenyan DAILY POST
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