Maina Njenga: Abductors wanted to know Raila’s plans
Former Mungiki leader Maina Njenga has revealed details of his alleged abduction that got Azimio leaders on alert.
Njenga says he spent almost the entire Saturday at his farm in Laikipia County before heading to the Banana Area in Kiambu County, where the alleged abduction occurred.
He was later released late Sunday night. Njenga told ntvkenya.co.ke, “I took a boda boda from Banana back home after several hours in captivity.”
Speaking to NTV, Njenga recounted his agonizing journey in the hands of men he claims were police officers.
He said, “The men were jumping from all over the fence into the compound. When they finally pounced on him together with his assistant Felix Lakishe, they said their boss wanted to talk to me. We proceeded to their car where they said the boss was at the DCI Headquarters.”
Njenga regrets ever entering that vehicle but recalls he had some confidence in the people who took him because, “these people who have been abducting and arresting me. I know them.”
Njenga would then be blindfolded and driven “carelessly” for about an hour. “We must have taken the Nakuru highway,” he recalls.
When they finally reached their destination, the abductees were taken up several floors of an unknown building. “It must have been the fifth or sixth floor,” said Njenga.
Here, he says he was questioned about his relationship with Raila Odinga. The men, he said, “Wanted to know what Raila Odinga was planning after recently ruling out protests to pressure the government into lowering the cost of living.”
They asked Njenga if they (the opposition) were recruiting youths for political undertakings. He was also asked, he says, why they (Azimio allied Mt. Kenya MPs) were still in Azimio and sticking with the Odinga faction despite losing elections.
After several hours incommunicado, Njenga and Lakishe were released in the dark of the night.
Following this harrowing experience, Njenga has called on the state agency to respect the rule of law. “Kesi iko kortini waache kuharass watu, waache kushika watu ovyoovyo wangoje judge aamue kesi basi (the case is before court, all these arbitrary arrests should stop. Let’s wait for the judgment,” said Njenga.
Muthoni Mburu, a member of Njenga’s legal team, is concerned that the actions by the police are “retrogressive and reek of abuse of power. They are taking Kenya back to the dark days of dictatorship and police excesses.”
Njenga added that “the conduct of police abducting people, threatening them is a step backward in our democracy, ilianza hivi hapo kitambo tukaanza kuona watu wakipotea kwa mikono ya polisi” (this is how it began years back before enforced disappearances became apart of our policing mechanisms).
Njenga appeared before Makadara Chief Magistrate Tito Gesora for a pre-trial in the weapons case.
On July 20, 2023, in Kiserian within Kajiado, police claimed to have found Njenga, his brother, and his aide in possession of offensive weapons; 14 machetes, 24 Maasai swords, 46 rungus, and three jembe sticks.
Njenga’s trial has been set for December 4, 2023.