Kenyan Violence Leaves 29 Dead
By VOA News
21 April 2009
Police in central Kenya say at least 29 people are dead after clashes between local residents and members of a banned criminal gang.
The violence began late Monday, after villagers in and around the town of Karatina organized themselves to fight back against the notorious Mungiki gang. The residents say the violent, mafia-like gang has been active in the area recently.
Witnesses say mobs attacked the homes of alleged Mungiki members overnight, dragging people into the streets and killing them with machetes, axes, and clubs.
Police have made at least 40 arrests in connection with the violence.
This was not the first Mungiki-related violence in the area. There are reports that vigilantes killed at least 13 suspected Mungiki members over the past two weeks.
Police say the Mungiki began as a religious sect but evolved into a criminal gang, involved in extortion and murder, including beheadings and fatal shootings.
Earlier this year, a U.N. investigator and the Kenyan Human Rights Commission accused police of carrying out extrajudicial killings in a crack-down on the Mungiki. Police and other officials dismissed the accusations.
Some information for this report was provided by AFP and AP.
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