NPS dismisses claims of Mungiki involvement in Ruto’s Mt Kenya tour
The National Police Service (NPS) has strongly refuted reports that members of the outlawed Mungiki group are involved in mobilizing residents ahead of President William Ruto’s tour of the Mt Kenya region.
The reports stem from an article published by one of the dailies on Monday, March 31, 2025, which reported that the proscribed group was preparing the ground for President Ruto and working to prevent heckling incidents during his weeklong tour scheduled for April 1-5, 2025.
In an interview with a local media station on March 31, 2025, NPS Spokesperson Muchiri Nyaga dismissed the reports as baseless, emphasizing that Kenya’s security apparatus is fully capable of handling presidential security without relying on illegal groups.
“The Kenyan Government has a security apparatus that is strong enough and the commitment is about the rule of law. So to have some militia-like organization being part of the President’s tour is ridiculous,” Nyaga stated.
Nyaga reiterated that Mungiki remains an illegal organization whose members have faced prosecution numerous times, dismissing any insinuation that the government would collaborate with a proscribed group.
“Remember that the group remains an illegal grouping, and at any point, these are people that we have taken to court numerous times. So they cannot be in a situation where the illegal group can also be on the same side with government security apparatus,” he added.
Nyaga further assured the public that the country’s security forces are well-equipped to handle all aspects of public safety, including presidential protection.
“We have enough security forces. We have our own apparatus that are able to take care and take charge of this country without having to involve some shadowy militia group,” he asserted.
Ruto’s response
President Ruto also responded strongly to the reports, dismissing them as reckless misinformation aimed at inciting public fear.
In an official press statement from the Head of the Presidential Communication Service, Munyori Buku, State House condemned the daily, for publishing what it termed as “false and malicious claims” regarding the President’s tour.
“The outrageous, outlandish claim that a proscribed group is involved in planning the President’s tour of the Mt Kenya region this week is not only manifestly false, but it is also dangerously irresponsible, reckless and inciteful,” read the statement dated March 31, 2025.
The Presidency clarified that the tour is being organized through official government channels, involving consultations with regional governors, Members of Parliament, Senators, and relevant security agencies.
State House criticized the media outlet for failing to seek comment from the Presidency before publishing the story, accusing it of spreading “reckless sensationalism” and demonstrating “flagrant hostility.”
“If the newspaper has chosen to weaponize misinformation to prop up its waning relevance, it should prepare to be held to account not only by the institutions it maligns but also by the public and even the fast-disappearing readership whose trust it so carelessly continues to betray,” Buku stated.
The government reiterated that the security of the President and the Mt Kenya region remains under the full control of state agencies and assured the public that no illegal groups were involved in any way.
