The outlawed Mungiki sect which reared its head after the nullified Presidential elections has continued to brew mayhem in the city.
A source told Kahawa Tungu that the gang has established a base at Muthurwa market and are frustrating Luo and Luhya traders who have since found it difficult operate in the market as a result of threats, intimidation and blackmail from Mungiki gangs.
Allegedly, the group has divided itself into three operation commands at the said market and all of them claim ownership.
The first one comprises mostly teenagers who dress like ‘chokoras’ and demand cleaning fees of Sh30 from every Luo and Luhya trader everyday.
Failure to remit this money results into death threats.
The second group comprises of youth who are in their late 20s and early 30s and who demand Sh50 from every Luo and Luhya trader for security.
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“If you fail to pay,they claim they’ll come for you since Muthurwa is theirs and the government knows about their existence,” the source said.
The third group comprises of self proclaimed leaders of all the two groups who are led by an individual called Githaiga.He is a well known person in Muthurwa and boasts of his closeness to Starehe MP Charles Kanyi aka Jaguar and top government officials.
The ‘leaders’ group demand Sh100 from each Luo trader for stalls and kiosks.Failure to give out this money may result into a trader losing his or her kibanda in the market while others have found their wares stolen and their vibandas allocated to other people.
In total a trader from the two communities has to part with about Sh200 daily to appease the three gangs besides paying taxes to the city council.
“Its a sad state of affairs happening under the watch of Muthurwa police who should provide security to all traders in Muthurwa.The Mp Jaguar should come clean on his association with Githaiga who solicits money from Luo and Luhya traders”, he said.
Traders from the two communities have asked governor Mike Sonko to assure traders from other communities of their security in the Market irrespective of their political leanings and tribe.
They also want Nairobi Police boss Japheth Koome should tour the market and listen to the security concerns of traders from the above mentioned communities.
“Otherwise Muthurwa is sitting on a time bomb,” the said.
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