Amid tensions with Kenya’s ex-deputy president Rigathi Gachagua, the previous chief of the outlawed Mungiki sect and his supporters disrupted a prayer gathering in central Kenya that included Gachagua’s spouse. Following the incident, social media posts shared a picture claiming the previous sect chief, Maina Njenga, had been attacked. That is deceptive: the picture is from 2014 when Njenga was injured in a gun assault.
“BREAKING NEWS: Mungiki chief Maina Njenga crushed up badly by an indignant crowd saying that they weren’t absolutely paid after disrupting Pastor Dorcas Rigathi Nyeri prayer occasion final weekend,” reads an X publish shared on January 24, 2025.
Screenshot of the deceptive publish, taken on January 28, 2025
The picture exhibits an injured man with blood-stained garments seated on a wheelchair.
The declare was additionally shared right here and right here on Fb.
Mungiki sect
The Mungiki is a political-religious group established in Kenya within the late Nineteen Eighties. Its adherents are primarily from the Kikuyu tribe, the nation’s most populous ethnic group. Njenga was one of many group’s founders (archived right here).
Within the native language, the phrase Mungiki means “multitude” or “a united individuals”.
At first, the group’s main focus was to guard land rights and pursuits of the Kikuyu neighborhood. Nonetheless, it morphed right into a violent motion linked to quite a few legal actions together with homicide and extortion and was subsequently outlawed by Kenyan authorities in 2002 (archived right here).
In 2009, Njenga transformed to Christianity together with some members of the sect, following his acquittal on homicide expenses (archived right here and right here). He had been accused of orchestrating the bloodbath of 29 individuals within the central Kenyan city of Nyeri.
Gachagua-Njenga rivalry
Njenga and Gachagua are each from the Mount Kenya area, the place they’ve been vying for political management (archived right here).
On January 18, 2025, Njenga and a bunch of his supporters disrupted a prayer assembly in Nyeri county, resulting in the evacuation of Gachagua’s partner, Pastor Dorcas Rigathi, who was one of many occasion’s organisers (archived right here).
Gachagua, who was impeached in October 2024 after following out with President William Ruto, accused the federal government of sending the ex-Mungiki chief to trigger chaos on the occasion (archived right here and right here).
Njenga had urged individuals within the Mount Kenya area to again Ruto at first of the 12 months, refuting claims that the realm had turned towards the federal government after Gachagua was faraway from workplace (archived right here).
In response, Gachagua referred to as on the Worldwide Felony Courtroom (ICC) to analyze the Mungiki sect’s previous crimes, claiming that the federal government was making a concerted effort to revive the outlawed sect to tame his affect within the area (archived right here).
Nonetheless, the picture shared on-line doesn’t present Njenga being not too long ago attacked.
Outdated picture
AFP Reality Verify carried out reverse picture searches on the picture and located it in a information report from greater than 10 years in the past.
A cropped model of the picture was revealed in an article by Kenyan media outlet, The Commonplace in Might 2014 (archived right here).
In keeping with the report, Njenga’s automobile had been shot at in Ol Kalou, a city alongside Nairobi-Nyahururu Freeway. He blamed this assault on the police. In response, authorities denied involvement and attributed the taking pictures incident to infighting inside the Mungiki sect.
Screenshot of article revealed by The Commonplace, taken on January 28, 2025
A full model of the picture additionally circulated on social media and blogs on the time (archived right here and right here).
Additionally in Might 2014, native broadcaster Citizen TV revealed footage of Njenga’s bullet-riddled car and an interview with him when he was being handled on the Nyahururu hospital (archived right here).
Within the video, Njenga was sporting the identical garments seen on within the picture shared on X.
Throughout a TikTok reside revealed on January 26, 2025, Njenga dismissed claims of the purported current assault as propaganda (archived right here).
Talking within the Kikuyu language, Njenga mentioned: “Do I seem like I’ve an harm wherever? Why are they spreading propaganda? Ought to I stand? Inform them to drop the propaganda. Ignore these footage from the 2014 accident. We’re standing sturdy and won’t be shaken.”
As he spoke, Njenga stood up and jogged on the spot to indicate that he was not injured.
