Public Service Cabinet Secretary Moses Kuria has asked his Interior counterpart part, Kithure Kindiki not to heed requests made by a section of elected women leaders in Mt Kenya.
The leaders led by Naivasha MP Jayne Kihara, about a week ago, had been fearful of the resurgence of Mungiki and asked Kindiki to issue shoot-to-kill orders against the alleged sect's members.
Kuria, however, expressed his dislike for the demand, arguing that the directive would be unjust to the victims likely to be killed when the orders are given.
"President William Ruto is a staunch believer in the rule of law and constitutionalism. Dear Prof Kithure Kindiki, kindly refuse the shoot-to-kill request by Mt Kenya's elected women leaders," he asked his colleague.
"Everyone, even suspected Mungikis, deserves fair trial and presumption of innocence. Michuki (Former Minister John Michuki) was right in many ways but not on this one," he added, referring to the former minister's ruthless war against suspected sect members.
Michuki, upon issuing the shoot-to-kill orders, faced backlash mostly from human rights groups who argued that his directive contravened the Human Rights Act.
CS Kuria's stance comes roughly a week after the women leaders claimed that the Mungiki sect, which had wreaked havoc in the '90s and 2000s, was quickly gaining ground in the region.
They further warned that they had endured the dark era of the sect, marked by acts of violence such as killings, maiming, and sexual assaults on women.
"As mothers, we remember the terror, atrocities and chilling experiences that Mungiki unleashed within Central Kenya, we remember the fear, the terror, we remember the pain," a statement authored by the leaders read in part.
"No political agenda is worth the kind of pain Mungiki will bring to our people. We know how many were killed in the crackdown of 2003/4 and we cannot sit and watch this happen again."
Maina Njenga, a former leader of the sect, has recently been in and out of court, denying claims that he is a member of the resurrected grouping.
On many occasions, he stated that the gang was nonexistent and claims of its resurrection were politically driven. Njenga further asked to be recognised as a politician allied with Azimio.
