MUNGIKI WERE ON ITEERE LIST AT STATE HOUSE

Fresh details have emerged about contacts between PNU officials and alleged Mungiki members before the November 26, 2007 meeting with President Kibaki at State House. In January, Police Commissioner Mathew Iteere released a list of 33 'guests' who visited State House on November 26.

The alleged meeting is part of the ICC case against Deputy Prime Minister Uhuru Kenyatta and former Civil Service boss Francis Muthaura. Star investigations now indicate that at least two and possibly four guests on November 26 were in fact Mungiki members, even if their State House hosts did not realise it. State House has repeatedly denied that Mungiki members were at the meeting.

The Mungiki attended as part of a lobby group named Operation Kibaki Again. Six youth groups attended the meeting. Mungiki members interviewed by the Star said that a top parastatal officer advised them to adopt a new name because they could not register as Mungiki when entering State House. Nairobi businessman Godfrey Machira also visited State House as part of the OKA delegation. ICC Chief Prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo said he was the link man between Mungiki and State House.

The four OKA members who went to the State House meeting were Maina Kangethe alias Maina Diambo; Godwin Kamau, also known as Godwin Wangoe Kamau; Anthony Kamau, also known as Anthony Gikura Kamau; Amos Kamande were all representatives of OKA. Maina Diambo was the Nairobi coordinator for Mungiki and the acting leader of Mungiki while Maina Njenga was in jail.  Amos Kamande was the Mungiki coordinator for Kayole.

Maina Diambo was an executive committee member of OKA. He mysteriously disappeared in 2009, allegedly lured to his death by a top civil servant in the Office of the President. The top civil servant is not Francis Muthaura. At the State House meeting Godwin Kamau presented the OKA petition to President Kibaki demanding the release of Maina Njenga from prison; an end to extrajudicial killing; and that more youth be absorbed into the military.

Machira was the link between OKA and State House. He was requested by top Party of National Unity officials to mobilise the youth to support Kibaki for a second term. Machira then recruited the four OKA members who visited State House and who were supposed to mobilise youths, hawkers, and musicians. Machira has since gone into hiding. "State House is a public property that is revered by many. There were 33 people representing eight groups who attended the meeting and none of them identified him or herself as Mungiki," Iteere said in January.

Iteere said the names of visitors to State House are vetted in advance. Machira met the OKA delegation on several occasions. On October 13, he met three Mungiki leaders at a bar in Nairobi's River Road area. Mungiki, PNU representatives,a top PCEA clergyman and a top state corporation official reportedly met on October 19 and 25 at a high class Nairobi hotel. At that stage there was no question of violence or intimidation. They only discussed the possibility of Mungiki supporting President Kibaki. Estimates of Mungiki membership range from 200,000 to two million.

It was agreed that Mungiki leader Maina Njenga be consulted before the sect declare their support for Kibaki. Mungiki also demanded the release of Njenga from prison. On November 7, Machira met Mungiki representatives in the same hotel and reported that the state had accepted to negotiate with Njenga who then serving a sentence at Naivasha prison for possession of a firearm and marijuana.

On November 8, Mungiki representatives together with a government official went to Naivasha prison and Njenga agreed that the Mungiki should support PNU. On November 9, Mungiki leaders started campaigning for Kibaki in Central Province. The ICC judges prosecution alleged that the State house meeting was attended by then State House Comptroller Hyslop Ipu, Presidential Press Service head Isaya Kabira, presidential adviser Stanley Murage, Uhuru and Muthaura. “After hearing the Mungiki demands, the President addressed Mr. Muthaura telling him something to the effect of: “You have heard what the youth want, so now it is upon you,”" a prosecution witness claimed.

The ICC evidence referred to three Mungiki members at the meeting including Maina Kang'ethe Diambo and two others whose names are redacted. Those who attended the State House meeting were classed in groups as Warembo Na Kibaki, Vijana na Kibaki, Kipya Youth Interparties, PNU Youth Alliance, Kanu Youth, Kawa, and OKA.

On January 27 this year, Iteere released the names of 33 people who visited State House. They were Martha Wangare, Naisiae Karia, Beryl Oyier, Lydia Martha, Patrick Ngatia, Joseph Kioko, Sakaja Johnstone, Job Wamalwa, Andrew Wakahiu, Thomas Mbewa, Jonathan Katiku, Yvonne Khamati , Leon Ndubai; James Mathenge; Jack Wamboka, Evans Gor Semilango, Patrick Kokonya, George Nyongesa, Ken Orengo, Badi Ali, Kamau Mugo, James Munene, Nahashon Maina, Mary Githinji, Godfrey Machira, Godwin Kamau, Maina Kangethe, Anthony Kamau, Hosiah Mwangi, Amos Kamande, Nelson Githaiga, Mwende Mwinzi and Leeh Nyachae.

A former Nairobi MP and a children's rights activist were also at State House that day although their names are not on Iteere's list, according to recent interviews by the Star.