Ex-Mungiki leader Maina Njenga on the rise of sect, life after prison and political plans

Getting to meet former Mungiki leader Maina Njenga calls for patience and courage. Two weeks after we requested an interview and with constant reminders, our contact advised that we be on standby for the call. And when the phone finally rang, we had to dash to Nyahururu in a matter of hours from Nairobi.

The handler did not hesitate to remind us that if we took long, he would have shifted his location. Mr Njenga is a man always on the move, and it goes without saying that he is always looking over his shoulders.

There was no information on the exact location we would be meeting with him as our contact kept dropping information about the meeting point in bits. “Drive to Nyahururu town, then let me know once you’re there,” he said.

When we were almost there, he issued a new set of instructions, before changing his mind on the venue he had earlier suggested. We drove on. We would later learn that there were informers along the road who kept him abreast of our movement.

Since we were getting at his Ngarua home at around 10 in the night, there were a handful of boda boda operators, who, on seeing us, switched off their headlights, in what we were told is their way of welcoming visitors.

All through, his handlers sought to assure us that we were safe. Moments later, we sat down with him. At some point, he got jittery when he saw the title of my notebook: Crime and Justice. “What informed the choice of the notebook?” he enquired as he took it for closer scrutiny.

When hanging around ‘Chairman’, as his supporters call him, his security detail is alert throughout, perhaps the paranoia stems from the many assassination attempts he has survived in the past.

If your phone rings, they want to know who it is you are talking to and the subject of the conversation. It is taken even more seriously when the language of transaction is one they are not familiar with.

All through the interview, he insisted on about 10 of his handlers and faithful sticking by for the chat that went on slightly past midnight, and continued hours later.

For a couple of times, the interview would be interrupted by aides who came to whisper a thing or two to him in what looked like real-time updates on security and other events of interest.

What have you been up to lately?

I have become a peace ambassador and our effort to reconcile different communities living in Laikipia is paying off. You know this region has been affected by wars. Our cattle, goats have been stolen, our girls stolen and people left desolate. The police were brought in, but the thieves hid in the bush. They even ambush and attack our security officers.

What really shocks us is the fact that those attackers have very sophisticated weapons. I have been to meetings with the victims and the assaulters, trying to seek peace, but the issue continues. I have also done some roads for the residents, about 14 kilometres, and built a police post and many other projects for the community.

And at what point did you begin mobilising the youth to form the organisation?

Since birth, I found myself in it. I just found myself gathering the youth since I was in school as a village boy. One thing I noticed is that every time I woke up in the morning, I would have a dream and whatever I dreamt would come to pass.

I started talking about the dreams I had at night and the youth would listen to me. I used to dream every day and I realised the dreams gave me some lessons and I saw my life was different from the other youth. When I went to school, I would drive a car, an imaginary car. I would go around humming like a car and whenever asked by my peers, I would tell them I was driving my car and I had a future.

At the age of 15, I told my father to build a gate at home because I was buying a car, make the compound because my army was coming. At times, my father felt I was crazy and I would even be taken for mental examination I realised long ago that leadership does not really have to come by training, at times you are just born with it.

The country goes to the polls in August, which position are you going for?

I vied for the senatorial seat in 2017, and I had wanted to use the Jubilee ticket then, but you know who was the boss there and when I went for my ticket, I was directed to the boss to give me his signature. I was also told I must go and see DP Ruto so that I get my certificate, but he denied me the certificate and I went back to Kanu. I met with Hon. Gideon Moi, met with Nick Salat and got a ticket to vie for the Senate seat. I will be going for the same seat again.

How did you relate with the late President Daniel Moi?

‘Nyayo’ was my best friend. I would visit President Moi at his house in Kabarak. I met him when I was in school. At one time, he had a meeting in Nakuru about Mau Mau, he brought all the Mau Mau veterans together and I was also there. I had told him it would be nice to bring in the sons and daughters of the Mau Mau together. That is how I started uniting the youth. Moi was my good friend, he supported me and I became friends with his family too.

Moi was not very popular in Central Kenya, did he use you and your sect members to help him stay in power?

I was very instrumental in helping Moi unite the people and gather support for Kanu. At that time, most Kikuyus were in the opposition and we tried to bring the youth and the old together, and that is what we are doing now.

But in the end you had a nasty falling-out that led to a bloody crackdown; what happened?

We did not fall out on bad terms. It is just that the youth started being so many and wanted to be independent in the 1992 election. We started doing politics. Moi asked us to look for money for him to campaign. We did and later started matatu operations. I was even a matatu driver in Kibera, hustling. We were the real ‘hustlers’. We hustled, united the entire country and formed the Youth for Kanu (YK92).

Most of the youths were sons and daughters of the Mau Mau. It got to a point they were being told they had the characters of their ancestors. The Mau Mau really fought but did not get what they wanted and we decided to fight for their rights because all the good things were with the old. The youth felt abandoned.

Most of the sect members were arrested for engaging in illegalities and some lives were lost when they clashed with the police. Does that disturb your conscience?

The important thing to remember is that in every struggle, there must be casualties. When the army goes to fight anywhere, we do not expect all of them to come back. That time, the youth felt left behind and they wanted to ensure each of them had his own farm, a wife and some foundation. They did just that and as they started doing well; the old people started beating their own children and were fighting the youth.

It was not just in Central Kenya but nationwide. Whenever people fight for the truth, they are beaten up and sometimes killed. Remember leaders like former Internal Security Minister John Michuki told us we would be having daily burials in our homes, but God is there for us.

Michuki came and went, [George] Saitoti came and went, then came Joseph Nkaissery, who is also gone. Right now, we have some tranquility and people understand where we are and where we are going. We have leaders who understand and respect the youth and their mission. We are all under Azimio la Umoja.

Talking of Michuki, it is said that an attempt by Mungiki to assassinate him is what escalated the bloody crackdown. Was that the turning point and did you really want him dead?

You know Michuki had a colonial mindset. He was in the colonial government and had their mannerisms. When the youth called themselves the children of the Mau Mau, he thought the original Mau Mau was coming back.

The youth were talking about their land and freedom and he got angry. Nobody wanted to kill him. We were talking about the unity of the Mt Kenya people — the Kikuyu, Meru and Embu. But now, we want the people of Kenya to unite under God. One government, one leader, one country and citizens under one nation. A leader can come from any part of the country, but for now, the one who can unite the people and the entire country is ODM leader Raila Odinga.

Since he and President Uhuru Kenyatta shaked hands, we can go to Kisumu, a place we could not go. The handshake has changed things and Luos and Kikuyus have come together. Again, the government cannot keep rotating between the Kikuyu and Kalenjin all the time.

Are you still actively involved with the youth after the government crackdown ended Mungiki?

There is no way I can part ways with the youth. You must support the youth, the true hustlers. What I must tell the youth is that before one matures into an adult, he must first be a child. There was a time we held demos frequently because we had been denied justice, but later started working without being disturbed by anyone.

During the Kanu era, it was very hard to work without being disturbed. We would be arrested on fake grounds, at times for illegal assembly or association. At other times when you slaughtered a goat for a feast, you’d be arrested for being involved in a cult and oath-taking.

When you renounced Mungiki, you formed a church; is it still in operation?

You are in it as we speak. This is a church, we pray here. We have branches across the country. We also collaborate with other churches and bishops.

Was this a strategy to hibernate after coming under heavy state firepower?

We saw it fit to use this church to rehabilitate the youth. To make them good Christians. When you live in the Lord Jesus Christ and get saved, humble yourself and pray, you become a new creature.

For how long were you in prison?

I stayed on remand for three years, then I was sentenced to five years. It was said that we abused President Moi and his government, and caused a disturbance, just tyrannical cases that were common then. I was released by the Court of Appeal.

What do you do for a living?

I am a preacher. I collaborate with preachers and whatever little we find, we share. At times it is not there. I am also a farmer; I have cows, goats and farms that I till. I also have some lorries and matatus. What I have sustains me well. I do not lack. I have dairy cows and sell milk. I also buy cows, feed them for six months, resell at a profit, and life continues.

You lead a mysterious life, changing phones and locations periodically. Who wants you dead and why?

Everyone was born without his or her own will and so shall our end be. I believe my life is not in the hands of people but God. Had they wanted to kill me, then the time I spent in prison was the best. Those who attacked me and sprayed bullets on me, more than 30, would have succeeded, but I saw God. I will die at God’s appointed time so death does not worry me.

Having survived many attempts on your life, how does it feel losing people who are very dear to you; your wife, for example?

It has not been easy. When I left prison, my wife had died three years earlier. It was very painful. Burying her three years later was not easy. Mortuary bill had piled up to Sh6 million. My friends helped me offset it and we buried her. I later remarried.

Sceptics doubt if Mr Odinga will get substantial votes in Mt Kenya. What’s your take?

Baba can climb the mountain and he will be very successful. When others climb it with wheelbarrows, he will be climbing it with a tractor. A tractor is a machine that goes on itself, but a wheelbarrow uses human strength. There is confusion amongst the youth because of the policies being sold to them.

We want the youth to know that they cannot just sit and wait for money. Whenever you ask the youth what they do, they just say they are hustling. Everyone in the world is hustling, so that is not an excuse, it is how life is. There is no way you can be born today and already have a mansion. Having a mansion takes time.

What percentage of votes do you think Mr Odinga will get there?

Tinga will get over 60 per cent.

How will he achieve that when the perception is that the mountain already belongs to Ruto?

There is nothing like that. Initially, Ruto used to go round without any competitor, but now, Baba has emerged and he is moving round. He is the presidential candidate of Azimio la Umoja. The thing making Baba climb the mountain speedily is his love for Kenyans.

He understands all parts of Kenya and people know Baba. The youth understand him and we know he can do this job because he fought for what Kenya has today. He was imprisoned for nine years; he has lived in prison. 

He is 77; the only work for him is to serve. He is a grassroots person. Those who call themselves hustlers come to meetings using choppers. For example, there are people who come here and promise to leave some millions, but later, locals realise nothing was left behind.

It is an era of confusion and this must end. When Kibaki got involved in an accident, it was Raila who took over the campaigns and sacrificed everything and said Kibaki Tosha. Kibaki became President in a wheelchair.

Look at multipartyism, it is Baba who fought for it and Section 2A of the old constitution was repealed. Now we can sit and reason together. When we see someone taking us back to one party state, we see that as slavery. No one should tell us Baba is old, even Joe Biden became US president at 77.

Where and when did you meet Raila?

I knew him some 20 years ago. We are neighbours in Karen. At times he visits me at my place and I also visit whenever he has parties. He came to see me when I got involved in that accident. He was the first one to come and support me. His son Fidel married Veronica and we would help each other. Even his other children, Junior and Winnie, are my friends.

Are you then supporting him because you would be the president’s neighbour, and get some fringe benefits?

No, he is the best bet to lead this country. Raila is good for all of us.

How do you currently relate with the President and the Deputy President?

I have no problem with the President; he is doing his work. He is now in his last term. I also have no problem with his deputy. Our differences with Ruto are ideological. He is talking about hustlers and bottom-up, yet we can’t dwell on ‘wheelbarrownomics’. We want technology; that is what the youth want. We can’t go back to the stone age. You can’t say you have been working for 10 years then demand another 10. It is only sensible that both of them let others lead.

What is your view on NC leader Musalia Mudavadi’s move to join forces with DP Ruto’s UDA? Analysts say it complicates the maths for Raila.

You know the votes that Musalia had last time were about 400,0000 when he was contesting to become president and I don’t see him swaying the Luhya vote in favour of Ruto. It would be different, say if he was the UDA candidate. In fact, most ANC MPs are running from Musalia.

Western people know where they are going. We cannot dwell on tribal chiefs but on things that unify our country. There will be a lot of fights in UDA because when Musalia was told to go and join UDA, he was promised the running mate post.

Ruto has also told Rigathi Gachagua that he is going to be the running mate. Mumbi (Kirinyaga Governor Anne Waiguru), Martha Karua and Mwangi Kiunjuri are all lining up for the same. When Kenyans will realise the lies by these people, more troops will run away from them and they will be left in the wilderness alone. Victory is coming; we are going to succeed. Let’s soldier on.

Some say you are one of the richest Kenyans, with more than 10 homes in different parts. How much is your net worth and do you have a family?

That is not true, I am the chief hustler. In fact, DP Ruto who calls himself a hustler should know I am the hustling master. If he says he is poor, then I am also poor. I know that I have a few farms, vehicles and some houses here and there and they sustain me. Those are enough.

My family is still there; they are doing well. My children are almost finishing university. I have a daughter studying law at Strathmore University, the other one is at USIU. They are doing well.

Are you at peace with yourself?

Yes, I am. To achieve peace with oneself, you must be deliberate about it. You have to pray and remember your creator. The Bible says in Ecclesiastes 12: Remember your creator in the days of your youth before trouble comes when you will say, this life is not good for me. There is God in heaven and he answers our prayers.

What is your typical day like?

I wake up at 4am, no matter what time I sleep, and spend about 30 minutes bathing, then pick the Bible, read a verse or two, do my prayers and do some exercise to refresh. I then have my breakfast. My days are busy, I have many visitors — women, youths, the elderly, chiefs, workers — and we have breakfast together. Not all days are the same.

After breakfast, I engage the people. If they have issues that need solutions, we tackle them. The main aim is to preach peace. By having peace in our families and with our neighbours, the entire country will have peace. On Sundays, I go to church. In most cases we have prayers here. We are also invited to other churches and have crusades. We are also invited by  women’s groups and do community work.

Do you have plans to run for president one day?

As humans, we have ambitions. But for now, the most important thing is to unite Kenyans. It is good to serve the people, but for now we will serve God. Only God knows his plans for us. Moi came and went, Jomo Kenyatta also came and went.

Right now, we have Uhuru Kenyatta and the one ready to get the presidency is Baba. Things will work out, but the important thing is to unite Kenyans. For example, Mt Kenya should unite, as should all other communities.

It is good we begin from Mt Kenya because charity begins at home. I was the one who started bringing Baba to Central Kenya. Residents really had trouble with me for supporting Baba, but I told them leadership is God’s will.

How was your childhood?

I was born in Nyandarua. My parents worked at Kericho Tea Hotel. My father is Stephen Kamunyo Njoroge and his other name is Njenga. My late mom is Margaret Wangui Kamunyo. We are eight children, three boys and five girls.

I began my education at Olng’arua Primary School. Due to cold, we moved to Laikipia but we still have a home. My father was a peasant. We just celebrated his 98th birthday. I used to look after my father’s goats while growing here, I tilled the farm, just like the other children.

Do you talk with Ndura Waruinge, another former Mungiki leader?

Yes, we talk. In fact, we were together last weekend. Ndura Waruinge is my first cousin. His father and my mother are siblings. He is one of us. He is a pastor just like I became a pastor and now a bishop. I thank God for all that. We now have a coalition of churches. We normally meet every week and nowadays, we meet around Riverside Drive because it is near my neighborhood.

Is the church at Riverside Drive the headquarters?

Yes. We meet there to pray for Kenya. We have Bishop Mwai, Bishop Gathoni and many other bishops.

What do you plan for the youth in the event you become senator?

I will donate my salary to people. I already pay school fees for many children in Laikipia, including about 200 students at Laikipia University, and about 500 students in secondary schools.

Do you drink?

I have never drunk alcohol and will never. I have seen the problems that come with alcoholism and drugs. The youth should avoid drugs and alcohol, especially those who want to be leaders. They must not drink because they will destroy their judgements. You cannot judge wisely when you are drinking. I only drink water.

How about smoking?

No, I don’t. I love being sober all the time. That is why if you call me anytime, I will respond.

Your parting shot?

Kenyans should know we need peace, all of us need peace and it is said if you want peace, prepare for war. There is war ahead of us and it is not physical. We must fight this war together.

We must all unite, starting with the Kikuyu, Embu and Meru communities, we must have one voice and believe in the leadership of Uhuru Muigai Kenyatta as he leaves office.

He is telling us to come together for the sake of peace and prosperity of this nation. We have to love each other. This country has many tribes and we must learn to live together.