Several residents in Nyeri town were on Sunday morning arrested for allegedly belonging to the outlawed Mungiki sect.
Reports indicate that a contingent of police officers mounted security checks along various highways to arrest those seeking to hold a meeting in the town.
Subsequently, the officers were dispatched to deter the meeting from occurring.
Photos circulating online showed security checks mounted on several highways including Nyeri-Nairobi, Nyeri-Nyahururu and Nyeri-Nanyuki.
Detectives were also manning Kabiru-ini grounds where the meeting was slated to take place.
Muthoga Kirethi, Kikuyu Council of Elders Nyeri branch chairman, confirmed to the media that the meeting was postponed to a later date.
He, however, did not reveal the new date for the planned meeting.
The officers' response to the meeting comes as the government has raised alarm over a possible revival of the outlawed sect.
Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, during a recent visit to his Mathira home, implored the youth to shun the criminal group.
"I want to urge you to shun this sect we have seen their leader being propped by some politicians and getting some airtime in some media houses, however, we will not allow our people to be taken back to old dark days of terror from this group," Gachagua stated.
He also warned those seeking to revive the group, noting that severe action would be taken on the perpetrators.
"The government cannot allow the resurgence of such groups and I urge our youth not to join outlawed groups which will only cause more harm in our community," he added.
