Britain Rejects Asylum Plea for Three Mungiki Members

Three members of the Mungiki sect were yesterday arrested by the police after they went to seek political asylum at the British High Commission in Nairobi.

The commission's Press Attache, Mr Mark Norton, said the three were arrested for belonging to a proscribed organisation. He added that they had claimed they were facing political persecution from the government.

They were informed that the British Government would not grant them asylum as they belonged to an illegal organisation. The commission called the police who arrested them.

Meanwhile, Internal Security minister Chris Murungaru said the sect's members still had 30 days from January 11 to surrender to the police.

"Since my first appeal to the sect members to voluntarily surrender to the government, a number of them have surrendered and are now free to lead normal lives," said Dr Murungaru.

He asked all others who wished to surrender to report to their nearest police station or administrative office.

Meanwhile, the Catholic Church and the Centre for Conflict Resolution have urged humanitarian agencies to donate food and building material to the victims of the recent Molo violence.

The Nakuru Catholic Diocesan Justice and Peace and Commission executive officer, Mr Ernest Murimi, said he visited the area with Vicar General Dominic Kimengich, Fr Augustine Chumo and Fr Peter Mucheru and counted 76 burnt houses.

Mr Murimi said the group visited 22 farm units where individual families lost as many as 10 houses.

The raiders, he said, torched 10 houses in the compound of Mr Richard Ndungu'u and another seven in Mr Njoroge Kamau's homestead. The centre's executive director, Mr F.M. Apollos said his organisation had established that 163 houses were burnt down and 44 others looted.

"The victims also need the assurance of sustainable peace to enable them to return to their homes." Mr. Apollos said.

He commended the police to taking quick action to restore calm and for recovering stolen animals