2007年VOA标准英语-Sect Spreads Fear in Kenya

By Alisha Ryu
Nairobi
29 May 2007

Fear is spreading in cities and villages throughout Kenya, following a series of horrific murders committed by the followers² of a banned sect³ called the Mungiki.  With presidential elections scheduled for December, local analysts⁴ and human-rights activists⁵ suspect that some of the violence may be politically driven.  VOA Correspondent Alisha Ryu has details from the Kenyan capital, Nairobi.

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Kenyan police officers investigate violence believed to be caused by outlawed Mungiki sect, 17 April 2007

Mungiki sect members are believed to have been involved in the killings⁷ of at least 16 people in Kenya in the past three months.

The latest violence occurred Sunday in a poor neighborhood in the northeastern part of Nairobi.  A shootout between alleged⁸ Mungiki members and the police left six people dead, including two police officers, a 10-year-old boy, and an elderly man.

A week before that, Mungiki members are believed to have carried out the brutal⁹ murders of six villagers who had been accused by the sect of being police informants in central Kenya.  The villagers were said to be tortured before they were hacked¹⁰ to death and their bodies dismembered.

Since the Mungiki's emergence¹¹ as a secret organization in the late 1980s, little is known about the sect other than it was inspired by the Mau Mau rebellion in the 1950s against British colonial rule and draws all of its adherents¹² from the Kikuyu, Kenya's largest tribe.

The Mungiki, which means "multitude" in the Kikuyu language, evolved largely into a criminal gang - extorting¹³, robbing, kidnapping, and murdering victims, particularly in city slums.  The sect was banned in 2002 after sect members stabbed and clubbed to death more than 20 people in a Nairobi slum.

A sociology professor at the University of Nairobi, Ken¹ Ouko, says the Mungiki has been most active during election years, which suggests that the group may have a political agenda as well. 

"The last time we saw them get hyper-active like this was in 2002, when we had elections," he said.  "And now in 2007, they have become newsworthy and prominent again.  The Mungiki seems to be an organization that thrives on political excitement.  So, you can easily say that they are making a political statement."

What is still not clear is the reason behind the Mungiki violence before elections. 

Many Kenyans believe some politicians hire the Mungiki to silence critics and intimidate¹⁴ voters.  Others speculate the Mungiki use excessive violence to show the frustration¹⁵ and anger in a country, where more than 60 percent of the population live in poverty.

Kenya Human Rights Commission member Lawrence Mute says he fears the sect could become more organized and powerful, unless something can be done to expose the group and their activities.

"We need clear evidence, one way or another, on who are these people, who are backing them up," he said.  "Definitely, we have not responded to this phenomenon the way we should have responded as a country."

The government of Mwai Kibaki, a Kikuyu, has vowed¹⁶ to wipe out the Mungiki, but the sect is showing little fear of the promised security crackdown.

1 ken   

n.视野，知识领域

参考例句：

• Such things are beyond my ken.我可不懂这些事。
• Abstract words are beyond the ken of children.抽象的言辞超出小孩所理解的范围.

2 followers   

追随者( follower的名词复数 )； 用户； 契据的附面； 从动件

参考例句：

• the followers of Mahatma Gandhi 圣雄甘地的拥护者
• The reformer soon gathered a band of followers round him. 改革者很快就获得一群追随者支持他。

3 sect   

n.派别，宗教，学派，派系

参考例句：

• When he was sixteen he joined a religious sect.他16岁的时候加入了一个宗教教派。
• Each religious sect in the town had its own church.该城每一个宗教教派都有自己的教堂。

4 analysts   

分析家，化验员( analyst的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• City analysts forecast huge profits this year. 伦敦金融分析家预测今年的利润非常丰厚。
• I was impressed by the high calibre of the researchers and analysts. 研究人员和分析人员的高素质给我留下了深刻印象。

5 activists   

n.（政治活动的）积极分子，活动家( activist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His research work was attacked by animal rights activists . 他的研究受到了动物权益维护者的抨击。
• Party activists with lower middle class pedigrees are numerous. 党的激进分子中有很多出身于中产阶级下层。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 outlawed   

宣布…为不合法（outlaw的过去式与过去分词形式）

参考例句：

• Most states have outlawed the use of marijuana. 大多数州都宣布使用大麻为非法行为。
• I hope the sale of tobacco will be outlawed someday. 我希望有朝一日烟草制品会禁止销售。

7 killings   

谋杀( killing的名词复数 )； 突然发大财，暴发

参考例句：

• His statement was seen as an allusion to the recent drug-related killings. 他的声明被视为暗指最近与毒品有关的多起凶杀案。
• The government issued a statement condemning the killings. 政府发表声明谴责这些凶杀事件。

8 alleged   

a.被指控的，嫌疑的

参考例句：

• It was alleged that he had taken bribes while in office. 他被指称在任时收受贿赂。
• alleged irregularities in the election campaign 被指称竞选运动中的不正当行为

9 brutal   

adj.残忍的，野蛮的，不讲理的

参考例句：

• She has to face the brutal reality.她不得不去面对冷酷的现实。
• They're brutal people behind their civilised veneer.他们表面上温文有礼，骨子里却是野蛮残忍。

10 hacked   

生气

参考例句：

• I hacked the dead branches off. 我把枯树枝砍掉了。
• I'm really hacked off. 我真是很恼火。

11 emergence   

n.浮现，显现，出现，（植物）突出体

参考例句：

• The last decade saw the emergence of a dynamic economy.最近10年见证了经济增长的姿态。
• Language emerges and develops with the emergence and development of society.语言是随着社会的产生而产生，随着社会的发展而发展的。

12 adherents   

n.支持者，拥护者( adherent的名词复数 )；党羽；徒子徒孙

参考例句：

• He is a leader with many adherents. 他是个有众多追随者的领袖。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The proposal is gaining more and more adherents. 该建议得到越来越多的支持者。 来自《简明英汉词典》

13 extorting   

v.敲诈( extort的现在分词 )；曲解

参考例句：

• Corrupt government officials were extorting money from him. 腐败的政府官员向他敲诈钱财。 来自辞典例句
• He's been charged with extorting protection money from the shopkeepers. 他被指控对店主敲诈勒索保护费。 来自互联网

14 intimidate   

vt.恐吓，威胁

参考例句：

• You think you can intimidate people into doing what you want?你以为你可以威胁别人做任何事？
• The first strike capacity is intended mainly to intimidate adversary.第一次攻击的武力主要是用来吓阻敌方的。

15 frustration   

n.挫折，失败，失效，落空

参考例句：

• He had to fight back tears of frustration.他不得不强忍住失意的泪水。
• He beat his hands on the steering wheel in frustration.他沮丧地用手打了几下方向盘。

16 vowed   

起誓，发誓（vow的过去式与过去分词形式）

参考例句：

• He vowed quite solemnly that he would carry out his promise. 他非常庄严地发誓要实现他的诺言。
• I vowed to do more of the cooking myself. 我发誓自己要多动手做饭。