Kirinyaga Must Not Become Haiti - Njeri Maina Demands Probe Into Political Violence

Kirinyaga Woman Rep Njeri Maina has called for a thorough investigation into incidents of political violence reported in the county on August 23.

In a press conference on Friday, August 28, she said what began as ordinary political activity allegedly descended into violence and intimidation, leaving several people injured.

"What should have been an ordinary political activity descended into violence, intimidation, and fear, leaving several people injured and communities shaken. We must confront this before it becomes normalized," she said.

According to Maina, in Kiaragana, several people were reportedly injured during the violence, with one person said to have suffered critical, life-threatening knife wounds. 

In Kiamumbi, women who had gathered in large numbers to receive former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua were also reportedly physically assaulted and threatened with further violence.

Maina said the incidents went beyond ordinary political disagreements, arguing that assaults, intimidation and the use of weapons have no place in democratic competition.

"These are not minor political disagreements. Assault, intimidation, and the use of weapons have no place in democratic competition. There is also video material, which I previously circulated publicly, appearing to show buses transporting groups of people to the area before individuals disembarked and joined the surging campaign crowd. 

"Witness accounts and other material in opposition have raised serious questions about who transported these individuals, who facilitated their presence, and who subsequently directed their activities," she added.

Maina said serious allegations had also been raised concerning the possible involvement of former Woman Rep Wangui Ngirici, insisting that the claims should be subjected to an independent investigation.

Maina questioned what action had been taken by the National Police Service (NPS) and the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) following the reported violence and the alleged identification of persons of interest.

"What is unacceptable, however, is silence. If the National Police Service and the DCI have received witness accounts, reports, video material, and information identifying persons of interest, the people of Kirinyaga deserve to know what action has been taken since that day," she stated.

Maina further demanded answers over the alleged transportation of groups of people to the political gathering, including whether the owners and operators of the buses had been questioned, who hired and paid for the vehicles, where the passengers boarded and who received and directed them after arriving.

She also asked whether individuals captured in available footage had been identified and interviewed, and whether statements had been recorded from people injured during the incidents and women who reported being assaulted and threatened.

"Those are questions that I, as a member of Parliament for Kirinyaga County, demand a thorough investigation and a report on the same. We must ask: who is protecting political violence? The critical question," she pointed out.

Maina called on the NPS and DCI to demonstrate through their investigations that the law applies equally to ordinary citizens and politicians and their associates.

She warned against the emergence of organized political gangs in Kirinyaga, saying the county should not be allowed to descend into a situation where violent groups are used to settle political disputes or intimidate communities.

"The NPS and the DCI must therefore demonstrate through their actions that there is not one law for ordinary Kenyans and another for politicians and their cronies who enjoy proximity to power.

"I want to issue an even broader warning. We cannot allow Kirinyaga to become a little Haiti, a place where organized groups of violent young men gradually become instruments for settling political disputes, intimidating communities, and controlling the political landscape," she said.

Maina addressed young people whom she said were being recruited into political gangs, urging them not to allow unemployment, frustration or financial difficulties to be exploited for political violence against fellow residents.

"The politician who gives you money today to attack a fellow Kirinyaga, a fellow Kenyan, will have security around themselves and their family when violence escalates. It is ordinary Kenyans who will be arrested, injured or killed. Your future, dear young people, is worth more than a politician's campaign," she further said.

This comes days after Maina revealed that Gachagua contributed Ksh10 million towards securing bail for young people arrested during the 2024 Gen Z protests.

Speaking on Monday, August 24, she cited the former Deputy President’s alleged contribution as evidence of his commitment to supporting young Kenyans and their participation in the country’s leadership.

"Our party leader is committed to the leadership of young people in Kenya. Our party leader, Rigathi Gachagua, contributed Ksh10 million towards securing bail for those arrested during the demonstrations," she said.

Maina also recalled her own involvement in defending young people arrested during the protests, saying she spent long hours in court supporting those facing charges.

"During the Gen Z protests, I was in the frontline defending those arrested during the protests. I could enter the court at 7 a.m. and leave court late in the evening," she added.