Rigathi Gachagua
By MKT Correspondents
Former Mungiki leader Maina
Mr. Njenga was released yesterday by a Nakuru court after the termination of criminal charges he battled for 18 months related to the unlawful Njenga has attributed his legal troubles to political and ideological clashes with influential politicians and powerful figures within the government who seek to silence him due to his strong mobilization skills.possession of firearms and conspiracy to commit criminal activities, with Njenga facing ten counts connected to his alleged ties with Mungiki.
State Counsel Charles Omwenga, representing the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), submitted an affidavit detailing the prosecution’s difficulties in obtaining witness testimonies. Omwenga informed the court that key witnesses had refused to testify, citing personal connections with Njenga that hindered their willingness to cooperate.
The DPP also pointed out procedural irregularities, noting that some law enforcement officers had failed to properly document the arrests of the suspects, Mr. Njenga and 11 co-accused, which weakened the evidential basis of the case.
Nakuru based Principal Magistrate Kipkurui Kibellion granted the DPP’s application to withdraw the charges under Section 87(a) of the Criminal Procedure Code. In his application, the DPP had cited insurmountable challenges in securing witness cooperation as the primary reason for withdrawing the case.
Following his release, Mr. Njenga, his lawyers, and hundreds of supporters gathered outside the Nakuru Law Courts, where they sang religious and cultural songs despite a heavy presence of anti-riot police officers deployed to maintain order.
Mr. Njenga expressed his gratitude to the court for allowing the prosecution’s request to terminate the case, to his lawyers for skillfully challenging the prosecution’s evidence and witnesses, and to his supporters for attending each session in large numbers.
“My people, I urge you to maintain peace in your respective areas. Interestingly, those who placed us here also have cases in court as we speak. They are crying as we cried, but we thank God that we are now free,” he said in an apparent reference to former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua current tribulations.
In September last year, Mr. Njenga had appealed to the government for a sit-down to resolve the recurring issues leading to his frequent arrests.
However, the then-Deputy President, Rigathi Gachagua, declined, stating that the government would only engage with those who denounced violence.
Mr. Njenga also mentioned that a meeting initially planned for December 31 last year at Kabiru-Ini Show Grounds in Nyeri—which was disrupted by security forces and led to the arrest of hundreds of youths—would be rescheduled soon.
Lawyer Ndegwa Njiru, representing former Deputy President Gachagua in the ongoing impeachment case, chose his words carefully and remarked that the State had failed to sustain what he termed a “fabricated and defective case.”
“It is for that reason we say freedom is here. Free at last. Next time, if the State decides to pursue such a fabricated case, it must be prepared to meet equal and opposite resistance,” he stated, expressing appreciation for his colleagues and the court, which he described as progressive and open-minded.
Veteran lawyer Evans Ondieki urged the youth, as well as the entire Mt. Kenya region, to align themselves with and support the political direction that Mr. Njenga would champion in the coming days.
The removal of Mr. Gachagua is likely to ignite a fierce battle for supremacy within the Mt. Kenya region, where political leaders are now eager to assert their influence and secure a strategic foothold ahead of the 2027 elections.
Political leaders have been trooping to the political stronghold, attending burials and music extravaganzas, in a bid to capture local support and establish themselves as the primary voice, potentially reshaping the political landscape in the process.
It is expected the control of the Kikuyu dominated areas will be a titanic battle between the former DP and Njenga.
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