A member of the banned Mungiki sect who was found naked during an initiation ritual at Nairobi's Ngara Nyayo market last Friday, has been jailed for four years for taking an unlawful oath.
Mr Landry Sironga, who was charged along with 14 others, admitted before Makadara Principal Magistrate Wilbroda Juma taking an oath binding the group to take over matatu (commuter taxi) stages.
The court heard that police recovered three basins full of blood and some Mungiki related paraphernalia next to a bonfire.
Those who denied the charge were released on Sh100,000 bond each with a surety in the same amount. The case will be heard on September 4.
Mrs Juma said although Mr Sironga was a first offender, the issue of controlling matatu stages had in the past resulted in loss of human life.
The magistrate ruled Mr Sironga deserved a deterrent sentence to serve as a lesson to such offenders.
Inspector Philip Musyimi told the court Mr Sironga and his co accused were unlawfully taking an oath or an engagement purporting to bind them to take over matatu stages in Nairobi.
The police found over 100 people taking the oath. The suspects dispersed in different directions but some were arrested and taken to Pangani Police Station and charged with offence.
''There were running battles in the City's Nyayo market as Munguki militants who were joined by street urchins, pelted police with stones'', the court heard.