afrol News, 21 April - Kenyan police have arrested more than sixty people for allegedly killing 28 villagers in Mathira division in Nyeri district, police officials has announced. The men are believed to be from the banned radical Mungiki sect.

The police official said the 28 people were allegedly hacked to death by members of the outlawed Mungiki sect who raided Mathira Division’s Shehe sub-location around 2am this morning.

Local reports said groups of residents started attacking suspected Mungiki members and slashing some of them to death, after the gang had threatened to expel everyone from the town.

According to a statement signed by the police spokesman Eric Kiraithe, in recent weeks, residents in Karatina have been subjecting members of the outlawed sect to mob punishment. Police said they received information about a violent clash between the public and Mungiki sect members.

“Police moved to the scene immediately and commenced investigations. So far investigators have confirmed that 24 people have been killed and three have been seriously injured,” Mr Kiraithe told local newspapers.

The Mungiki gang mainly from President Mwai Kibaki's Kikuyu ethnic group has continued to operate despite being banned in 2002, extorting money from owners of minibus taxis and other public transport vehicles according to local reports.

In 2007 more than 100 suspected sect members were killed in a police crackdown after a series of grisly beheadings blamed on the sect.

Local police have however appealed the public to report members of the sect committing crimes to police stations instead of using criminal violence against them.

By staff writer

© afrol News

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