Former Mungiki leader, Maina Njenga was on Wednesday evening briefly held at the Nakuru County Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) where he was interrogated for 45 minutes before being released.
Detectives at the offices directed Mr Njenga who was accompanied by his lawyers Ndegwa Njiru and Steve Biko to report to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations headquarters in Nairobi at 8.am Thursday where he is listed as a wanted person in relation to the recovery of two firearms and over 90 rolls of bhang at a home linked to him.
The self-confessed ex-Mungiki boss was grilled by DCI officers after Nakuru Senior Resident Magistrate, Emmanuel Soita declined to issue clear orders on Maina’s re-arrest.
His lawyers had pleaded with the court to interpret orders issued by Nairobi High court which stated that Maina should not be arrested until charges are preferred against him.
Maina moved to the Milimani Law Courts and was granted an anticipatory bond of Ksh100,000 on May 17, 2023.
Mr Soita indicated that Mr Njenga had appeared before a different court from the one handling his case therefore the magistrate could not issue orders or give bail and bond for the applicant.
Mr Njiru had submitted before the Senior Resident Magistrate that they had presented their client before the after DCI issued a communiqué on Monday putting their client on its wanted list.
The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), through a post on its Facebook account, made the announcement on Monday night saying; “Detectives in Nakuru County are looking for ex-Mungiki leader Maina Njenga in relation to the recovery of two firearms and over 90 rolls of bhang at a home linked to him.”
The recovery was made on May 12 when the police raided Maina’s in Ngomongo village in Bahati, Nakuru.
“Officers arrested eight suspects, aged between 37 and 58, during the raid. They also found three rounds of 9mm blank ammunition hidden in one of the rooms,” the DCI said in the post.
According to the police, one of the firearms was a homemade pistol, capable of firing, and the other was a Tokarev with defaced serial number.
“Any information on the whereabouts of the ex-Mungiki leader who has since gone into hiding may be volunteered through the #FichuaKwaDCI anonymous hotline 0800722203,” the DCI announced.
Detectives raided Maina Njenga’s three homes in Nakuru Nairobi and Laikipia on the morning of May 12.
According to sources privy to the investigations, the police intended to charge Maina with allowing his residence to be used as a venue for the meeting by the group.
“On diverse dates between May 12 and May 18, 2023, in Nakuru North sub-county, Nakuru County, jointly with others not before the court upon the reasonable ground were identified as members of an outlawed organized criminal group to with links to Mungiki,” the charge sheet for the twelve reads in part,”
Reporting Dennis Rasto
