On November 5, 2009, Mungiki spokesperson David Njuguna was shot dead in Nairobi.
He was attacked by unknown assailants with whom he had a confrontation shortly before his untimely death.
Njuguna was in charge of the Kenya National Youth Alliance, which served as the political wing of the Mungiki group.
At the time of his murder, the government led by Mwai Kibaki was cracking down on the Mungiki, which had been outlawed due to a series of criminal and extremist activities.
Mungiki Spokesperson David Njuguna Shot Dead Along Luthuli Avenue
Originally a religious-cultural movement promoting a return to traditional Kikuyu customs, Mungiki evolved into a violent sect and criminal gang.
The group was known for extortion, particularly in the matatu (public transport) sector, as well as murder, beheadings, and forced oathing rituals.
Before his death, Njuguna had reportedly been seen arguing with four unidentified men inside a mobile phone shop on Luthuli Avenue in Nairobi.
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Eyewitness accounts indicated that the confrontation escalated when two of the men drew pistols and shot him in the chest at close range.
One witness saw a brief commotion, initially mistaking the group for city council officers.
As Gitau tried to cling to a nearby door and cried out for help, two of the assailants opened fire on him, while the other two fired their weapons into the air to disperse onlookers. Gitau was reportedly shot three times and died on the spot.
Human Rights Groups Condemn Njuguna’s Murder
Following Gitau’s death, human rights organizations criticized the police for conducting widespread extrajudicial killings in their crackdown on the banned Mungiki sect.
The deputy head of the Kenya National Human Rights Commission at the time, Hassan Omar Hassan, stated that Njuguna Gitau had voiced concerns for his safety just a month prior.
“Njuguna came to our office on Friday, October 16, 2009. He expressed his fears for his life and wanted to share some information with us,” Hassan said.
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The government, through Internal Security Permanent Secretary Francis Kimemia, denied any police involvement in Njuguna’s murder.
“The police are on full alert and will track down those responsible. It is easy to blame the police but let law enforcement conduct their investigation first,” Kimemia said.
Kimemia claimed that reports from officers on the ground indicated that Gitau had been arguing about money with two other men.
Paul Muite, a lawyer representing Mungiki leader Maina Njenga—who had recently been released from jail—revealed that Njuguna had expressed fears for his life the previous Friday, allegedly after being approached by members of the Kwekwe Squad, a police unit formed to address issues related to the Mungiki.
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