Man fights off forceful recruitment into Njuri Ncheke

An elderly man in Mariri village, Meru County, is still reeling in shock after he was grabbed from his house half-naked early one morning in an alleged attempt to recruit him into the Njuri Ncheke council of elders.

About 10 men stormed Mzee Julius Mungathia’s house as he slept and frogmarched him into their forested shrine in Ntunene, Igembe North, for oath-taking.

He said the mob had knocked at his door, identified themselves as Njuri Ncheke elders and ordered him to open it. When he declined, they broke into the house using a huge rock.

Narrating his ordeal, the 69-year old grandfather, who was visibly shaken, said he only had his underwear on when the men dragged him out of his house at around 5am.

They then tied his hands and neck with a rope and dragged him to the shrine, about two kilometres away, while they sang songs and chanted slogans.

While at the wooded sanctuary, the elders accused Mzee Mung’athia of practising witchcraft and told him that he needed to be cleansed and recruited into the elders’ club for forgiveness.

He was tied to a tree and offered a piece of meat and soup but he declined to take the items, fearing it was a form of oath.

He was rescued by a group of clerics, who were informed of the incident by the victim’s children, whom the Njuri Ncheke elders had contacted asking for money in order to release Mzee Mung’athia.

“They ordered me to call my children to come and pay the fine for me, saying I could not be set free without paying the money. It was a humiliating ordeal because they told me I had to take their oath. I was just in my underwear when they dragged me outside the house,” he recounted.

Jerusalem International Gospel Church head Julius Gitari said he was told about the seizure and immediately mobilised fellow clerics and reported the matter to the police.

But the captors spotted the police vehicle approaching the shrine and fled, escaping arrest.  

Bishop Gitari said they had made a pact that church elders would not be subjected to Njuri Ncheke practices and should instead be taken to administrators.

“We respect the council of elders but they should stop forcefully seizing people. Many people have been oppressed by the council but they don’t complain because it is believed that they can curse people. The Njuri Ncheke should not be seen to be breaking into people’s homes like they are ordinary thieves,” he said.

Mzee Mung’athia recorded his statement at the Laare Police Station and named three of his captors.

Mr Erastus Kaburu, his son, condemned the act, saying it amounted to harassment and intimidation.

Njuri Ncheke chairman Linus Kathela said he had heard of the incident but did not have any more information.

“I only heard about it but I do not have the details. I will call you once I get the details,” he said by phone.

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