Sect linked to poll chaos, OCPD tells Waki team

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Sect linked to poll chaos, OCPD tells Waki team
Published on 30/07/2008

By Alex Kiprotich And Anthony Gitonga
Followers of the outlawed Mungiki gang were allegedly brought to Naivasha town at the height of post-election mayhem, the Waki Commission of Inquiry heard.
Naivasha OCPD Willy Lugusa told the commission he received reports strangers had flocked the town prior to the violence on January 27.
But Lugusa, who was the first witness in the hearings at the ACK in Naivasha on Tuesday, said he would give more information to the commission in camera.
"There were reports of the presence of some strangers in the town but I will say more in camera," he said.
The commission was for the third time told of conflicting number of people who were killed during post-election violence.
In his testimony, Lugusa said 46 people died on January 27 alone, in Naivasha town.
He said 40 people were killed within Naivasha town and estates while six people died in Gilgil.
On Monday, former Naivasha DC Katee Mwanza put the number of post-election deaths at 40 while former Naivasha District Health Officer Dr Gakuri Eleazer said 42 people died.
Lugusa said among the dead was a policeman who was killed at Kong’asis.
"A police officer was killed during post-election violence at Kong’asis, but he did not work in Naivasha District," he said.
Lugusa told the commission he did not know if the police killed five people who died of gunshots.
He said he could not rule out that among the rioting mobs were people with guns.
"I totally object to claims that the people who died of gunshot wounds were killed by the police," he said.
joint patrols
He also said no ballistic expert has ascertained where the bullets were fired from because no bullets were found in the bodies.
He said police who patrolled and quelled riots were armed with either G3 or AK-47 rifles.
The OCPD said he ordered the withdrawal of prison warders who conducted joint patrols with the police on January 27 because of complaints from residents.
"The situation at that moment made the district security team to withdraw the prison warders though allegations against them were not true," he said.
The residents, Lugusa said, had alleged prison warders harassed them and did not want them on the streets and estates.
He said the withdrawal of the warders did not create a security crisis because Anti-Stock Theft Unit officers were deployed.
The OCPD said during the period 156 suspects were arrested and charged with being in possession of offensive weapons.
Lugusa, who was also taken to task to explain why post-mortem examination was not done on two bodies, admitted it was not proper to do so.
"It is not a normal practice for bodies to be released without a post-mortem being conducted," he told the commission.
He said inquest files had been opened for all the deaths during the violence and files forwarded to the magistrate.
Lugusa further said police officers were traumatised by the violence that rocked the region. He said most of the officers did not rest for four days because they were involved in maintenance of law and order as well as rescue operations.
"The officers were victims of post-election violence and needed counselling after witnessing violence and collecting dead bodies," he said.
Another witness Peter Otieno told the commission how people were ambushed and attacked in Naivasha estates.
Otieno, who lived in Kabati estate said mobs went round estates and demanded to be shown houses where people considered outsiders lived.
He said about 8,000 people fled to Naivasha Police Station.