The police raid on the Juja shrine turned chaotic when officers stormed the Kenda Muiyuru shrine in the early hours and arrested several members of the Gikuyu sect known as Mastore. The raid happened fast in the quiet area near Juja, with heavily armed police moving in and taking people into custody. What surprised everyone most was what came next. The arrested men and women started singing traditional Kikuyu songs at the top of their voices while locked inside the police vans.
Videos from the scene spread quickly online. In one clip, you can hear strong voices rising above the sound of engines as the vans pulled away. The songs sounded proud and defiant, echoing old Kikuyu chants that many locals still know from their grandparents.
Neighbours who woke up to the noise stood outside their homes watching in disbelief. Some recorded the moment on their phones and shared it straight away, turning a local police operation into something much bigger.
The Mastore Shrine now sits shut down for good, at least for the time being. Police put up barriers and posted officers at the gate. They say the place will stay closed until investigations wrap up.
The main reason for the raid, according to officers on the ground, is suspicion that the group has been carrying out female genital mutilation in secret. FGM remains illegal in Kenya, and authorities have stepped up efforts to stop it in rural and semi-urban spots where old customs sometimes linger.
This shrine had been operating quietly for years. Locals knew it as a place where certain Kikuyu traditions and prayers took place. Some people visited for blessings or community gatherings. Others stayed away, calling it old-fashioned or even dangerous.
After the raid, those who supported the shrine spoke out quietly, saying the group never forced anyone and that the songs were simply a way to stay strong during tough times. But police insist they acted on solid tips about illegal practices happening behind closed doors.
The arrested members – around a dozen in total – were taken to a nearby station for questioning. Family members gathered outside, some crying and others looking angry.
One woman, who said her sister was inside, told reporters the police came without much warning and took people away in their nightclothes. She worried about what would happen next and hoped the songs would keep their spirits up.
Some people backed the police, saying that no tradition should break the law, especially when young girls could be in danger. There were arguments all over the place about how to balance respecting Kikuyu roots with keeping kids safe from harmful practices. Some even told stories from their own villages about similar shrines that quietly disappeared years ago.
Juja is close to Nairobi, but some parts of it still feel like they belong to older ways of life. The mix of city and country traditions can sometimes cause problems, and this raid brought those problems to light.
Police say they will keep a close eye on the area to make sure the shrine stays closed and that no other similar events happen. They also asked community leaders to speak out against FGM and help them report any gatherings that seemed suspicious.
The families who are affected don’t know what will happen in the days to come. They are worried about whether their loved ones will be charged and how long the shrine will stay closed.
This is not the first time Kenyan police have moved against groups accused of practising FGM in secret. Over the years, similar raids have happened in different counties, usually after tips from concerned neighbours or teachers who notice missing girls.
Each time it sparks fresh talk about how far the law should reach into cultural matters. Some regulars say they will miss the prayers and gatherings, while others feel relieved that a potential danger has been stopped.
Either way, the images and sounds from Saturday morning will stick around for a while. Police vans rolling away with voices raised in traditional Kikuyu songs is not something people here see every day.
As investigators dig deeper, everyone waits to hear what comes next. Will charges stick? Will the shrine ever reopen? For now, the drama in Juja has given Kenyans plenty to talk about, and the singing inside those vans has turned a quiet raid into something no one can stop sharing.
