Understanding the Mungiki

Nairobi, Kenya - mnguru - Wednesday, May 7th, 2008 : goo

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Like other secretive organizations, the Mungiki sect is an organization that outsiders can know little about and thus understand it motives, structure and vision. However, one can draw insights into the organization by looking at what it stands for and represents amongst it members hence understand the source of its strength. At least what we publicly know of the organization is that it has its roots in Kikuyu custom and traditions and at the same time it is a religion. It also appears to be a political party, a form of underground government and also a militant organization all merged into one outfit. To establish which of these characteristics best portrays the organization is beyond the scope of this article and the author’s ability to investigate. Therefore, as usual, the author in a bid to help understand and resolve the underlying issues that have caused the existence and growth of the Organization will elaborate on what the organization stands for to its members.

The Kikuyu people are known to be generally one of the most westernized tribes in Kenya today. This is so true as some of its members to not even now how to speak a word of its language let alone understand the traditions and culture of the tribe. Others have intermarried and adopted other cultures much to their own peril. As the wise Swahili teachers say “Mwacha asili ni mtumwa” (A deserter of his culture is a slave), an identity crisis exists amongst the Kikuyu people as most are unable to describe themselves. The Mungiki therefore have filled that gap by enlightening its members of the traditions and customs of the Kikuyu and allowed them to practice those traditions causing some cultural renaissance and giving its members an identity. This could explain why its membership has rapidly expanded in the recent years.

The Mungiki have also offered a form of security to its members by defending and fighting for the rights of its members and the Kikuyu in general. Its militant wing was first heard of during the 1991-2 tribal clashes when the then ruling government allowed the Kalenjin community raid and fight against the Kikuyu living in disputed lands around Molo and Burnt forest in the Rift Valley. Formed under the same model used by the Mau Mau freedom fighters, The Mungiki fought to defend the lands of the Kikuyu in those areas a role that they again played during the post election violence. That same militant wing has thereafter helped to protect the interests of its members even in urban areas especially in slums. It is therefore expected under such circumstance for the affected and protected people to join the organization leading to its rapid expansion over the recent years.

As an extension of its security function, the Mungiki have helped in the political and socio- economic expansion of its members as seen clearly in the matatu sector. The Mungiki have been used as thugs for hire to eliminate any perceived opponent the hirer might have. However, just as it is rumored that Osama was the creation of the Americans, a meniacery grown out of control, the mungiki to have become bigger than their employers in the political and socio-economic sectors. Today they demand to be heard and not to be exploited or used on a need basis only to be dumped when they have outlived their usefulness. In order to survive in those cold and dark times, the organization has devised means to maintain its existence until its next ‘job contract’ from its employers, the economic and political elite.

Some of the ways that the organization has maintained its existence is through extortion and other criminal activities as they demand for protection fee to protect the assets of its members and the general public. This is understandable since the hired youth at the end of their contract have no source of income and need to survive there after. The Mungiki in order also to support its members has developed saving schemes under the welfare society registration and has started income generating activities to support its members. It has also entered into service provision of basic amenities in areas where the government has failed to provide those services. This has made the organization play the role of the government to its members in such areas and thus enhancing its relevance in the society and aiding its growth in membership.

But the one of the most potent tool that the Organization has used to ensure its existence and longetivity is the adoption of religion. They say, some of the deepest convictions for a man, which you can never argue against, are about issues to do with sport, politics and religion. This is are areas where all rational thought is thrown out of the window as people draw their opinions on very hard to understand beliefs that border on euphoria and fanaticism. However, religion serves to be the most potent since it is able to penetrate into the very being of a person making it impossible to change a person’s conviction. Religion therefore creates a cause bigger than one self; one worth dying for and hence Mungiki’s adoption of Islam into its creed. This has now made it impossible to kill the movement since its beliefs will be passed down from one generation to the next. Even if only one member will survive, he will tell of the organizations legendary achievements in the past causing its revival; just as the Mau Mau movement was revived through the Mungiki. This will ensure a constant enrollment of new members into its fold.

So if the government really wants to control this organization or cut it from existence, it can only do so by developing a counter force that addresses the same core needs that the Mungiki provides to its members. These include a source of identity, a source of security, a cause and conviction to live and die for and a source of human inspiration and achievement. The government must also address the core reasons that caused the creation of the organization in the first place that include the land issue, lack of a national identity, massive unemployment of the youth and the government’s inability to meet the needs of its populace. It is only when the government plays its role in society and other organizations like the church taking their place will this organization be put into check. Otherwise if the government allows for politicians to hire the members of the organization to achieve their selfish goals and continues to abdicate its role, we can only expect the organization to grow and at one time even establish an underground government that will control the legitimate government just as the mafia did in Sicily, Italy.

for more information contact magu on twawezakenya@gmail.com
or visit his site www.twawezakenya.com

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