The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) and the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) have asked the court to deny bail to five suspects facing murder charges over the killing of Dr. Victoria Nthunya Mutiso. According to an affidavit filed in court by Homicide Investigations Bureau officer CPL Romana Odour, the suspects are jointly charged with other individuals who have not yet appeared in court over the murder that occurred on July 29, 2026.
The investigating officer acknowledged the constitutional right to bail under Article 49(1)(h) but argued that there are compelling reasons to keep the suspects in custody as investigations continue. The DCI and DPP cited concerns over possible witness interference, destruction of evidence, collusion, and flight risk. The affidavit details that the murder was connected to a long-running dispute over a 20-acre piece of land in Mlolongo involving Dr. Mutiso, her husband, and the first, second, and third accused persons.
Investigators allege that Rose Mbithe Mulwa, Angela Mulwa, and Chris Mulwa knew the deceased and her family and were part of a wider group that allegedly planned and helped carry out the killing. The group allegedly spent about four months monitoring the deceased, collecting information about her and her family, and organizing communication, transport, and other activities before the attack. The DCI says telephone and other electronic records allegedly place the suspects in meetings and communications linked to the alleged plan.
The affidavit also details an earlier incident on July 7, 2026, when Dr. Mutiso reportedly told police that two armed people riding a motorcycle had confronted her near Junction Mall along Ngong Road. Investigators allege that the fourth accused, Elijah Kimoi, was the pillion passenger during the incident. On July 29, the deceased was allegedly intercepted while traveling in an Uber vehicle and shot dead. Kimoi, a serving police officer at the time of the alleged offense, is accused of firing the fatal shot and fleeing after the killing.
Following the arrests, investigators conducted searches and recovered several items they consider important to the case. At the Karen residence of the first and second accused, police allegedly found a black and red A7 notebook containing details of the Uber vehicle used by Dr. Mutiso, Airtel SIM cards, photographs of the deceased and members of her family, as well as copies of her husband's national identity card. A search at the Kerarapon home of the third accused allegedly led to the recovery of a vehicle said to have been taken from the deceased's home in Mlolongo.
The prosecution has also raised concerns about alleged efforts to interfere with people cooperating with investigators. Odour says investigators received intelligence on August 20 about an alleged plan to harm suspects who had agreed to assist with the investigation. The fifth accused, Maritim Kimutai, was arrested at Pangani Police Station on August 22 while allegedly visiting one of the cooperating suspects and carrying food, according to the affidavit. Investigations are still ongoing, with several alleged accomplices remaining at large, including some senior police officers.
The DCI and DPP have therefore asked the court to keep the five accused persons in custody, saying their detention is necessary to protect witnesses, preserve evidence, and allow the ongoing investigations to proceed. The case has also been linked by investigators to a separate inquiry into the alleged destruction and loss of property belonging to Dr. Mutiso and her husband in Mlolongo, valued at about Sh37 million, alongside an alleged forged title deed.
Key points
- The DCI and DPP cite concerns over witness interference, evidence destruction, and flight risk in opposing bail for the five suspects.
- The murder is alleged to be connected to a long-running dispute over a 20-acre piece of land in Mlolongo.
- The suspects, including a serving police officer, are accused of planning and carrying out the killing of Dr. Victoria Mutiso.
