Among trio is a police officer involved in the murder of Dr Victoria Nthunya Mutiso
A Nairobi court has ordered the detention of three suspects for 30 days to allow police to complete investigations into the murder of Dr Victoria Nthunya Mutiso.
The three, Elijah Kibelion Kimoi, Daniel Mwangi Njoroge and Kevin Ngugi Kinuthia, will be held at Ruaraka, Pangani and Gigiri police stations, respectively.
The court granted the prosecution’s application after finding that the threshold for continued detention had been met and that releasing the suspects on bond or bail could interfere with ongoing investigations.
The suspects were arrested on August 7 following what police described as an intelligence-led operation and were presented before court as investigations into the July 29 killing of Dr Mutiso continue.
Dr Mutiso, a former director of the African Institute of Mental and Brain Health, was fatally shot while inside a vehicle in Upper Hill, Kilimani Sub-County, Nairobi County.
The matter was initially reported at Kibra Police Station before the investigation was taken over by the Homicide Investigations Bureau at the Directorate of Criminal Investigations headquarters.
According to the prosecution, the investigating officers recovered two spent cartridges and two bullet fragments from the scene, which were subjected to forensic examination.
Police also recovered a Mini Jericho pistol with preliminary ballistic findings allegedly linking the firearm to the recovered cartridge cases and bullet head.
The prosecution told the court that the firearm had been issued to a senior police officer who is currently at large.
Investigators have also recovered CCTV footage and call data records and detained three motor vehicles for forensic examination.
The court heard that police are yet to complete several aspects of the investigation, including further forensic analysis, recording outstanding witness statements, establishing the respective roles of the three suspects and tracing other people believed to have been involved.
The prosecution further alleged that the killing may have been linked to a land dispute involving the deceased and property identified as L.R. No. 1504/13, which is the subject of a case before the Machakos Environment and Land Court.
Police also told the court that Dr Mutiso had previously reported an alleged attempt on her life.
According to the prosecution, on July 7, 2026, she reported that she had been confronted near Junction Mall along Ngong Road by two armed people riding a motorcycle who allegedly pointed a firearm at her. She escaped and subsequently reported the incident at Kilimani Police Station under OB No. 63/07/07/2026.
The first suspect, Kimoi, is alleged to have been one of the armed individuals involved in that earlier incident.
The prosecution further alleged that preliminary investigations had linked Kimoi to the fatal shooting, while Njoroge is alleged to have been driving a black Prado, registration number KDH 600A, which allegedly blocked the vehicle in which the deceased was travelling.
Kinuthia is alleged to have used motorcycle registration number KMGZ 980D to transport Kimoi to and from the scene.
The prosecution, however, told the court that it would be premature to charge the three suspects before the remaining investigations are completed and the file submitted to the Director of Public Prosecutions for an independent decision on whether charges should be preferred.
The court was also told that other suspects are still at large and that some of those being pursued are highly trained police officers.
The prosecution argued that releasing the suspects at this stage could compromise the investigations through possible interference with witnesses, collusion with suspects who remain at large, destruction of evidence or flight.
It further submitted that the suspects posed a flight risk given the seriousness of the offence under investigation and the possibility of facing a capital charge if investigations lead to prosecution.
The prosecution described the killing as a carefully planned execution of a public figure and told the court that the matter had generated significant public interest.
The court also considered the safety of the suspects, noting that their identities had become known to members of the public and the deceased’s family and that their release could expose them to retaliation or mob justice.
In granting the 30-day detention order, the court found that the matter remained under active investigation and that there was a likelihood of interference with the investigations if the suspects were released.
The court consequently ordered that Kimoi remain at Ruaraka Police Station, Njoroge at Pangani Police Station and Kinuthia at Gigiri Police Station for 30 days.
The matter will be mentioned on September 10, 2026, for further orders.
