Former Mungiki leader baptised

Maina Njenga was on Sunday baptised and given the name John at the Jesus Is Alive Ministries sanctuary in Nairobi.

Hundreds of former Mungiki sect members also embraced Christianity during the service.

Bishop Margaret Wanjiru had a busy day ushering converts into the fold.

Wearing a T-shirt that read, “Jesus my final answer”, Njenga admonished those who doubted his decision to convert after he was released from prison: “Those who gave me two days should see for themselves. They have been answered. I am going strong.”

Huge number

Thousands of faithful thronged the church on Haile Selassie Avenue.

When he went to the church on the day he was set free, Mr Njenga promised to bring along his followers. This was evident on Sunday as the church registered a huge number of his followers.

“Some people want to be baptised together with me. I’m not alone,” Njenga said in remarks preceding his baptism.

He said he had accepted Jesus Christ as his personal saviour.

Bishop Wanjiru described the occasion a new beginning for Central Province and the country as those leaders who had misled the youth have now changed.

“Those leaders who led youth in the wrong direction have turned to the Lord,” she said.

After the baptism, Njenga elicited laughter when he said he had come out of the baptism pool a “fish”.

The baptism for the thousands of converts continued late into the afternoon and indications were that some could be asked to wait until another day.

The mere mention of the name Mungiki strikes fear in the hearts of many people as many have lost their lives or loved one been maimed by gang members.

Villagers at Gathaithi in Mathira East where 29 people were brutally killed by attackers said to be Mungiki in May this year, have fresh memories of the terror.

Although security agencies have claimed victory over the gang, the reality is chilling. Indeed, this year alone has seen an upsurge in their activities, notwithstanding the imprisonment of Njenga and his subsequent conversion.

As recently as September, villagers in Rioki in Githunguri District woke up to the gory sight of a boda boda operator whose body was found in a coffee estate naked, his eyes gouged out.

In March this year, Mungiki followers blocked roads in parts of Nairobi, stoning motorists and burning several vehicles to protest against the police for killing their colleagues.