How Kikuyu elders bungled pay meant for boys killed in Kenol chaos
Peter Mbothu (15) and Christopher Kariuki (21) were lynched by a mob in the chaos that erupted in Kenol, Murang'a County, in 2020.
It has emerged that a section of Kikuyu elders bungled plans to compensate the families of two boys who died in 2020 during street battles between rival Jubilee factions in Kenol, Murang'a. The fracas came about after politicians from both Tangatanga and Kieleweke factions of Jubilee Party ferried youth from as far as Nairobi to Murang’a in anticipation of chaos ahead of a visit by then Deputy President William Ruto, only to find a situation that was waiting to explode.
In the running battles that erupted on October 4, 2020, Peter Mbothu (15) and Christopher Kariuki (21) were lynched by a mob. Mr Kariuki left behind a two-week-old son with the Kiambu County government promising to employ his widow, a pledge that was never fulfilled.
At the time, top Murang’a politicians had pledged to fundraise for the two families, a promise that never materialised.
But even more troubling, it has emerged some of the elders involved in the compensation process bungled a plan by the state to award the boys' families an acre of land each in Kiambu County.
An elder who was part of the discussions, Mr Kiarie Ciombou of Murang'a's Kiama Kia Ma, revealed to the Nation that following the chaos that left the boys dead, former President Uhuru Kenyatta had engaged them in implementing a state-backed plan to reach out to the victims' families and compensate them with an acre of land each.
'Selfish interests'
However, the plan hit a dead end after some elders bungled the budget for the drive.
“There was a committee of elders and government officials that was formed and was coordinated by the Mt Kenya Foundation. The intention was to fund the burial of the two and also buy them an acre of land each in the Komo area of Juja Sub-County,” said Mr Ciombou, adding that the land compensation programme was projected to cost Sh2.6 million.
“But some selfish interests crept in and the plan hit a dead end...The two-acre parcel that ended up being procured in Komo was rocky and up to date, it has not been paid for in full,” Mr Ciombou said, adding that the parcel was also meant to be shared equally by the families.
Christopher Kariuki was buried on the land but Peter Mbothu's family opted to bury him in a separate property.
According to Mr Ciombou, “there was too much greed in the process of getting the land and there were those who wanted to gain maximum benefit at the expense of the two victims”.
It's not clear how much money was raised, but some sources told the Nation that the sum raised from the political class allied to President Kenyatta was in the tens of millions.
"The president had also donated...But the ever increasing donations made some of the elders start fighting for control of the cash. At the end of the day, three prominent elders who had control of the money started meeting privately without involving others and the plan collapsed," said the elder.
Justice
But for Kariuki’s sister, Ms Lucy Njoki, the best form of compensation the family can hope for is justice for her kin.
"The best compensation we can get is for those adversely mentioned in the murder of the two to record police statements and those bearing the burden of that evil prosecuted," she told the Nation.
She also wonders what would have become of the two boys had they been the ones who murdered two politicians.
Emotive issue
Two years later, the Kenol issue has remained emotive one in Central region even after Dr Ruto won the August 9 poll.
On October 30 last year, President Ruto led Murang’a people in inter-denominational prayers at Karigu-ini grounds and together with his deputy, Mr Rigathi Gachagua, they apologised to the church for the incident that saw its premises teargassed ahead of his harambee.
“I am asking for forgiveness on their behalf, because the government was led by Uhuru Kenyatta and I but we had some of our workers who were very proud, disrespectful and stupid. They are the ones who lobbed teargas in church,” he said.
While delivering a Sh4 million contribution from President Ruto and a personal donation of Sh1 million to the AIPCA church, Mr Gachagua said the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) had been pressurised by the state to frame Water CS Alice Wahome and Kiharu MP Ndindi Nyoro over the two murders.
But Kikuyu Council of Elders chairman Mr Wachira Kiago reckons the current government should ensure that anyone who had financed the fracas be brought to book and the victims' families apologised to and compensated.
“It is not enough to hear politicians apologise to the church and its faithful. It is not enough to praise the people who stood firm and ensured Dr Ruto weathered the storm to eventually become the president. Human life was lost and their blood was not that of a goat. We want to know who financed their murders, executed by whom and for what purpose,” he said.
