Man shot in Lucky Summer as residents storm Mungiki ‘prayer’ meeting
One person was injured by a bullet as Lucky Summer residents in Nairobi protested a meeting they suspected to be held by members of the outlawed Mungiki sect.
The residents questioned the group’s motive which was said to be at a prayer meeting where women were conspicuously absent with some bizarre acts also reported.
“Which prayer meeting happens without any women? And why were they slaughtering goats, pouring the blood down in a circle then drinking it and smearing it on their clothes?” asked one of the protesting youth.
They barricaded the road using stones and started burning tyre.
The meeting was held at a place identified as Kwa Gathecha. A closer look at the venue showed tens of vehicles parked nearby.
The purported prayer meeting was being held inside a closed tent. Some of those who could be seen were wearing red shrouds on their heads.
ARMED
The residents also claimed that those in the said gathering were armed with clubs, machetes and guns.
“How can they tell us that it’s a prayer meeting when you see them wielding clubs and pangas. We are fearing that these are Mungiki. I saw them in the morning, they don’t look like people holding prayers,” said one of the residents by the name Charles Binyanya.
He added that the group came in at around 6am in the morning, drew an arrow to show direction to where they were gathered, then started lighting fires and slaughtering the animals.
There was a police land cruiser parked between the protesting youth and those said to be holding the prayer meeting.
At some point the police started shooting to disperse the crowd. It is however not clear at which point the man, who has been identified as Simon Mbegi, was shot in the stomach.
A Nation vehicle rushed the man to Uhai Neema hospital for treatment after some youths stopped the vehicle and asked for help.