A Mungiki sect member has been arrested in connection with the murder of a 13-year-old girl in Njoro amid revelations that the sect was re-grouping.
The killing of the girl, whose torso was discovered on Sunday was yesterday linked to a ritual killing by members of the outlawed sect.
Police arrested a 78-year-old man suspected to be the leader of the sect in the area. His arrest came hot on the heels of the arrest of 23 other sect members in Nyandarua who were being herded to a "holy shrine" for oathing.
The head of the late Julia Wanjiku has not been found.
Nakuru police boss Joseph Ng'isa said it is suspected to have been carried away to be used in rituals associated with the sect.
Wanjiku, a top Standard Six pupil at Kikapu Primary school on Gichobo Farm, was found dead in a valley on Sunday by her father, Mwaura Njoroge after she went missing .
Police say the suspect is a Mungiki oath administrator who lives quietly in the village located about 30 kilometres from Nakuru town, near Egerton University.
"We made inquiries and several names were mentioned. We raided their homes but found nothing but as we approached the old man's home, he took off and we went after him," Ngisa said.
Police caught him after a two- kilometre chase and recovered 15 pictures of members of the sect from his pockets.
Police said the pictures of the youth in dreadlocks would help to establish their identities.
In Nyandarua, investigations by the East African Standard revealed that the sect followers were arrested as they re-grouped. Militant sect leaders are recruiting youthful members from various parts of the country before herding them to secluded 'shrines' in the vast Aberdare and Gathanji forests.
The gullible youths are then made to take an oath, 'muma,' to maintain secrecy.
The recruits were to start training in South Kinangop.
Police, were, however, tipped off and laid an ambush on the Njabini-Sasumu road. Unaware of the dragnet the sect members started streaming towards their holy shrines but 23 of them were arrested while scores escaped.