Crusaders for Christ Church head pastor and former Mungiki leader, Ndura Waruinge, has come out to share some of the virtues of the infamous sect that he still holds in high regard, stating that it would not be difficult for him to choose it over the church because of some of its very practical characteristics.
Speaking to the Iko Nini podcast on Monday, March 10, 2025, Ndura noted that while Mungiki was far from perfect, with extortion, victimisation, and blackmail being part of its underbelly, it nonetheless had a very structured way of helping the youth and addressing real life issues.
“Mungiki, minus extortion, was the best organisation. Without blackmail and victimisation, it was the best organisation. Even now, if I were asked to choose between the church and Mungiki, I would return to Mungiki because its platform addressed real issues,” he said.
According to Ndura, modern churches are riddled with hypocrisy, where both preachers and congregants seldom practise the true gospel of assisting one another. He argued that contrary to popular belief, Mungiki had actually sprouted from a genuine need for young people to find means to sustain themselves.
“Platform ya church ni hypocritical. Unaambia watu waende mbinguni na hawajashiba. Unaambia watu miaka elfu mbili Yesu atakuja wao wanalala njaa. Na unaona ile ya Mungiki tulikuwa tuna address issues. So hiyo time kama tungepata mentor atusaidie waone hiyo effort tulikuwa nayo kuchange situation ya vijana tungekuwa mbali sana,” he said.
Loosely translated to;
“The platform of the church is hypocritical. You tell people to go to heaven while they are hungry. You tell them that Jesus will return after two thousand years, yet they sleep on empty stomachs. But you see, in Mungiki, we were addressing real issues. If at that time we had found a mentor to guide us and recognise our efforts in changing the situation for the youth, we would have come a long way.”
No blood money
Ndura, who spoke extensively about the operations of the now-banned sect, went on to refute claims that the wealth amassed by Mungiki was blood money.
He insisted that they did not kill people to make money. However, he acknowledged that some members of the group resorted to unorthodox means of making money, including deceiving people, but argued that it was unfair to brand it as blood money.
“Blood money kivipi. Hakuna mtu nimewahi kata shingo. Mie pesa ilikuwa inakuja ilikuwa ya biashara. Hii ingine yenye watu wansema ati mtu alikuwa anauliwa ndio apate pesa haikuwa. Yesu Kristo amekubali tithe money.“
Loosely translated to;
“What do you mean by blood money? I have never slit anyone’s throat. All the money that came in was from business. This other narrative that people were being killed to obtain money is false. Even Jesus Christ accepted tithe money.”
Moving out
Waruinge, who has since emerged as one of the city’s budding preachers, narrated that once the Kikuyu community took over political power, he felt it was the right time to leave the group, as their objective of being the ruling community had been achieved.
He explained that he personally benefited from the Kikuyu presidency, given his status as a renowned leader and was subsequently awarded government contracts. He credited his success to seizing the opportunities that came his way, which, he believes, is why he has come so far.
According to him, there was no reason for individuals like Maina Njenga to continue clinging to the sect after their primary objective had been fulfilled. He also dismissed claims that he betrayed the movement by leaving, arguing that it was evident that they had achieved their ultimate goal.
“Niliongea na gava na tukaulizana maswali. Tumekuwa tukipigana tupate serikali ya Mkikuyu sasa tushapata sasa si ikakuwa ni tuingie ndani tuipange. Maina nao wamekataa kule ati wakisema tumesaliti movement. Na tushapata mkate. Hapo ndipo mimi nilijipangia nikaingia kwa gava nikapata macontract zangu mbili tatu nikakuwa sawa. Mpaka saa hii. Nilipata contract za kujenga barabara niko na degree. Kujenga manyumba na pia nauzanga mashamba. Niko na bank niko na church. Church tuko hapa Coffee Plaza hapo kwa stage za bus ya Easy Coach. Pesa ni mentality,” he added.
Translated to;
“I moved out because the Kikuyu people were in power, so it became irrelevant. We spoke with the government and asked each other questions. We had been fighting to ensure a Kikuyu-led government, and now we had one, so it only made sense to integrate and plan from within. However, Maina and others refused, claiming we had betrayed the movement. But we had already secured our share of the bread. That is when I planned my next steps, entered government, secured two or three contracts, and became stable. Even now, I am fine. I secured road construction contracts; I have a degree. I build houses and also sell land. I own a bank and a church. Our church is at Coffee Plaza, right at the Easy Coach bus stage. Money is all about mentality.”
New calling
Ndura, who also expressed his desire to see modern churches practise what they preach, added that his life has significantly changed since leaving Mungiki.
He emphasised that what he now does is assist people in a structured way, as his desire to create an impact remains strong.
He reiterated his commitment to supporting young people, highlighting that he has various initiatives in place aimed at helping them find purpose in life and access life-changing opportunities and jobs.
“Mungiki—yes, my calling ni kusaidia watu wachange maisha yao. Kama hivo umeona tunaokota pesa tunairudisha. Church ukiorganise iskuwe church ya kisasa ya kukula kondoo ikuwe hiyo style tulikuwa nayo ya kupanga na kusaidia watu vijana wapate kazi itakuwa poa. That is what we have been doing and we are equally better than Mungiki now.”
Translated to;
“Mungiki—yes, my calling is to help people transform their lives. Like you’ve seen, we collect money and redistribute it. If the church is organised and does not turn into a modern-day business that exploits its followers, but instead adopts the structured way we used to do things—where we planned and helped young people get jobs—then it would be great. That is what we have been doing, and we are now equally better than Mungiki.”