Maina Njenga, the Mungiki leader, was on Jeff Koinange's K24 Capital talk aptly known as "The Bench". Maina Njenga created Mungiki sect 20 years ago when he was 20 and while he was in high school and crafted it along the worship of the god of Kirinyaga - Kikuyu (Mt Kenya). He is now 40 and has turned over a new leaf via the way of the church. He reportedly says that Mungiki has had a membership of 5 million people.
Have you renounced Mungiki: I have done it. In my original intention I was not serious. It started like a joke while I was in Jomo Kenyatta High School in Nakuru town. Like a joke I said I am going to pray like my forefathers did by praying to the god of mount Kenya as other students went to the Christian Union and Catholic Action Fellowships. Other people started getting interested and they followed. I am not a trouble maker I am a peace maker.
Are you still driving this bus: Some people believe that once you leave Mungiki you will not live again. That is not true. I do not want any movement in front of me, I am serious.
What do you tell all those young men who believe in you as their leader: I want that movement to die and die forever and i dont want it to resurrect.
Are you going to form another movement through the church: No I am not going to form any movement from the church. When I was in jail, I have realised that I have big enemies. I want to start a new life. I was preacing the god of the mountain as that was my knowledge. In prison I have read the Bible thrice from Genesis to Revelation. I wanted to know what is the secret behind this book. I earlier on believed and preached that this was a foreign book. I had drafted some theories before I started preaching the god of Mt Kenya so that I would convince someone to stop looking at the Bible.
Do you believe the Bible now: When you do something without knowing, God can reveal it to you. After reading the book I have had great revelations. That God is the creator of the universe, He is the God of the invisible and the visible and had a son before the creation of the universe. I started as a small boy in a mud house, without even a bike and I am now living in a big house. I have seen that there is a God who can do great things. There is nothing I want from the movement.
They have killed for you: They have not done anything for me, that is not the message I told them to preach. I told you to come together for the sake of your god and for the sake of your people.
You must be afraid now and fearful for your life: I do not fear for my life. I know I have big enemies. If they killed my wife, they can kill me. But they can not kill my soul forever. We are not of this world, we are visitors here, you leave with nothing. Over 75% of Kenyans belong to this group. You cannnot reach and teach them all. They have acquired some skills from their neighbours. It is like a marrying a wife and leave her with nothing. She will get another. Or you get children and leave them with nothing. They will get other fathers and go looking for food at the neighbours.
I want to live a new life. They say life begins at 40. Why do I want to live the life I lived 20 years ago. You understand that 5M people are a lot to control and reach. I cannot be able to control them. I do not talk to you, where do you get your instructions from? If they believe I was at one time one of them, then let us take a serious decision and follow salvation.
What happens now, politics?: I want to study the Bible more and more. I read the Bible alone while in prison, I need to discuss the Bible with others. I used to teach that Jesus stands for Jews Empire Scripture Union Society. I used to teach that that son is not a son of a holy God and was the son of an ordinary man like any other. The message today I want all to know is that I have recognized that Jesus Christ is the son of God and he came to save and to heal.
That whatever I did during that time, I did some wrongs I understand, I am not angel and is normal for a human being. When you are young you do childish things and many would highlight my foolishness. Let people know about the truth and the truth will set all free. I have been in prison. I have been in a physical prison, but there is a mental prison. Better a prisoner of a physical prison than that of the mind. People have talked about me and 2012. I am not interested in anything. I want to preach the Bible and to do according to the will of God.
I am sorry for what has been there. I want that madness to stop. Whatever we have been experiencing is only a tip of iceberg. If I had, for example, said that each of the 5M buy a panga, where will Kenya be? I want to save this Kenya from a calamity, from a genocide. This thing can bring trouble in the future. Some leaders are blind, they cannot see. These young men do not belong to Maina, they are Kenyans.
What will be your role since you will always be a Kenyan: I will not stop talking. But my message will be different. Preaching a god of a community is different from preaching the God of the universe. This is the time for great harvest. From now any time I can be baptised. I want to be baptised.
Are you angry at those who killed your wife and your family members: Having discovered the love of God, he has given me peace, perseverance and love for my enemies. I want to start afresh. This is to start a new life in Jesus. I used to teach that the Bible stands for British Book of Law and Entertainment, meant for the poor so that they can entertain the rich. I do not want to preach that madness anymore.
Is this still the same message you are communicating to Mathira and Kirinyaga: I am telling them to stop the violence and live together as friends. Life is like a smoke, you can kill me today and you die tomorrow even if I dont kill you. I can preach peace even without being a member of any organisation. Battle is not good. When you hate somebody you lose. I agree I have lost some best friends. I want to forget that madness. If I am a leader of 5M people, I see trouble ahead. I am tellling them to go to the nearest church. I want this work to be taken over by the preachers, they are the ones who have abandoned their work.
We have leaders who do not deserve to be leaders. They are supposed to be hawkers. People especially the media and the police you are the cause of all this. You report the wrong position. For example the police shoot a pickpocket then say 'we have shot one and one Mungiki has run away'. These are not Mungiki, these are thugs. I do not want these groups, I start one, you start one then we fight each other. Eventually there will be no Kenya.
Is it possible to save Kenya at this point: You cannot control all these people who have hungry stomachs. The problem of Mungiki will still be there even if the name will not be there because of empty stomachs. Most of these do not have proper education, they cannot go to any office to seek employment. I appeal to the government not to kill these young men but to talk to them. I am sending them back to their parents. Their fathers should take responsibility. They should not fear them as they will be going to church together now. My work was to organise these crooks and hooligans.... I have sinned against my God and we are seeking forgiveness.
Have you renounced Mungiki: I have done it. In my original intention I was not serious. It started like a joke while I was in Jomo Kenyatta High School in Nakuru town. Like a joke I said I am going to pray like my forefathers did by praying to the god of mount Kenya as other students went to the Christian Union and Catholic Action Fellowships. Other people started getting interested and they followed. I am not a trouble maker I am a peace maker.
Are you still driving this bus: Some people believe that once you leave Mungiki you will not live again. That is not true. I do not want any movement in front of me, I am serious.
What do you tell all those young men who believe in you as their leader: I want that movement to die and die forever and i dont want it to resurrect.
Are you going to form another movement through the church: No I am not going to form any movement from the church. When I was in jail, I have realised that I have big enemies. I want to start a new life. I was preacing the god of the mountain as that was my knowledge. In prison I have read the Bible thrice from Genesis to Revelation. I wanted to know what is the secret behind this book. I earlier on believed and preached that this was a foreign book. I had drafted some theories before I started preaching the god of Mt Kenya so that I would convince someone to stop looking at the Bible.
Do you believe the Bible now: When you do something without knowing, God can reveal it to you. After reading the book I have had great revelations. That God is the creator of the universe, He is the God of the invisible and the visible and had a son before the creation of the universe. I started as a small boy in a mud house, without even a bike and I am now living in a big house. I have seen that there is a God who can do great things. There is nothing I want from the movement.
They have killed for you: They have not done anything for me, that is not the message I told them to preach. I told you to come together for the sake of your god and for the sake of your people.
You must be afraid now and fearful for your life: I do not fear for my life. I know I have big enemies. If they killed my wife, they can kill me. But they can not kill my soul forever. We are not of this world, we are visitors here, you leave with nothing. Over 75% of Kenyans belong to this group. You cannnot reach and teach them all. They have acquired some skills from their neighbours. It is like a marrying a wife and leave her with nothing. She will get another. Or you get children and leave them with nothing. They will get other fathers and go looking for food at the neighbours.
I want to live a new life. They say life begins at 40. Why do I want to live the life I lived 20 years ago. You understand that 5M people are a lot to control and reach. I cannot be able to control them. I do not talk to you, where do you get your instructions from? If they believe I was at one time one of them, then let us take a serious decision and follow salvation.
What happens now, politics?: I want to study the Bible more and more. I read the Bible alone while in prison, I need to discuss the Bible with others. I used to teach that Jesus stands for Jews Empire Scripture Union Society. I used to teach that that son is not a son of a holy God and was the son of an ordinary man like any other. The message today I want all to know is that I have recognized that Jesus Christ is the son of God and he came to save and to heal.
That whatever I did during that time, I did some wrongs I understand, I am not angel and is normal for a human being. When you are young you do childish things and many would highlight my foolishness. Let people know about the truth and the truth will set all free. I have been in prison. I have been in a physical prison, but there is a mental prison. Better a prisoner of a physical prison than that of the mind. People have talked about me and 2012. I am not interested in anything. I want to preach the Bible and to do according to the will of God.
I am sorry for what has been there. I want that madness to stop. Whatever we have been experiencing is only a tip of iceberg. If I had, for example, said that each of the 5M buy a panga, where will Kenya be? I want to save this Kenya from a calamity, from a genocide. This thing can bring trouble in the future. Some leaders are blind, they cannot see. These young men do not belong to Maina, they are Kenyans.
What will be your role since you will always be a Kenyan: I will not stop talking. But my message will be different. Preaching a god of a community is different from preaching the God of the universe. This is the time for great harvest. From now any time I can be baptised. I want to be baptised.
Are you angry at those who killed your wife and your family members: Having discovered the love of God, he has given me peace, perseverance and love for my enemies. I want to start afresh. This is to start a new life in Jesus. I used to teach that the Bible stands for British Book of Law and Entertainment, meant for the poor so that they can entertain the rich. I do not want to preach that madness anymore.
Is this still the same message you are communicating to Mathira and Kirinyaga: I am telling them to stop the violence and live together as friends. Life is like a smoke, you can kill me today and you die tomorrow even if I dont kill you. I can preach peace even without being a member of any organisation. Battle is not good. When you hate somebody you lose. I agree I have lost some best friends. I want to forget that madness. If I am a leader of 5M people, I see trouble ahead. I am tellling them to go to the nearest church. I want this work to be taken over by the preachers, they are the ones who have abandoned their work.
We have leaders who do not deserve to be leaders. They are supposed to be hawkers. People especially the media and the police you are the cause of all this. You report the wrong position. For example the police shoot a pickpocket then say 'we have shot one and one Mungiki has run away'. These are not Mungiki, these are thugs. I do not want these groups, I start one, you start one then we fight each other. Eventually there will be no Kenya.
Is it possible to save Kenya at this point: You cannot control all these people who have hungry stomachs. The problem of Mungiki will still be there even if the name will not be there because of empty stomachs. Most of these do not have proper education, they cannot go to any office to seek employment. I appeal to the government not to kill these young men but to talk to them. I am sending them back to their parents. Their fathers should take responsibility. They should not fear them as they will be going to church together now. My work was to organise these crooks and hooligans.... I have sinned against my God and we are seeking forgiveness.
We've been forced b situations to be sceptical and to say the truth, I'm sceptical of Maina's change of heart. If it is in good faith, Amen.
ReplyDeleteLet us wait and see. My only fear is that if he is truly genuine, not all will change with him and a ruthless gangleader could emerge and fill the vacuum
ReplyDeleteMaina dont desert the maumau remnents. Our fathers died, our land was stolen by neo colonialists who we should be going after and not the poor or middle class. You had a change of heart of which i am skeptical but the god of kirinyaga will guide us and grant us a stronger leader. Thai.
ReplyDelete