Police authorities have arrested 38 people in a crackdown on a religious sect involved in fighting that left 12 dead in two central Kenyan towns, the new head of the country's internal security said Monday.
National Security Minister Christopher Murungaru said 12 people have been killed since Sunday when members of the outlawed Mungiki sect attacked minibus operators over control of bus stops in Nakuru, around 84 miles northwest of Nairobi.
Mungiki members killed nine people, and police killed two sect members while trying to restore order, Murungaru said. A twelfth person was killed Monday when Mungiki members attacked minibus operators in Muranga, some 40 miles north of the capital.
However, a former Mungiki member, who requested anonymity, said the sect, which was outlawed in March, no longer existed and the deaths were a result of fighting among the minibus operators in the two towns, according to AP.
Minibuses are the main form of public transport in Kenya. In the past year, Mungiki members have fought with minibus owners over control of bus stops in several Kenyan towns. (Albawaba.com)
© 2003 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
