NAIROBI, Kenya — A Nairobi court has allowed investigators to detain three suspects for 30 days over the murder of mental health researcher Dr Victoria Nthunya Mutiso, as detectives pursue other people believed to have been involved in the killing.
The suspects are police officer Elijah Kibelion Kimoi, alleged Prado driver Daniel Njoroge and motorcycle rider Kevin Kinuthia.
Chief Magistrate Paul Mutai granted the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) application for continued detention, citing the reasons presented by investigators, including the need to protect witnesses and prevent interference with an ongoing investigation.
Under the orders, Kimoi will be held at Ruaraka Police Station, Njoroge at Pangani Police Station, and Kinuthia at Gigiri Police Station.
The three suspects were arrested on August 7 during what the DCI described in court as an intelligence-led operation.
DCI alleges different roles in killing
According to an affidavit sworn by Corporal Romana Odour of the DCI Homicide Investigations Bureau, preliminary investigations have identified what detectives believe were the respective roles of the three suspects.
Investigators allege that Kimoi was the gunman who fired the fatal shot.
“Preliminary investigations have established that the 1st respondent-Kimoi is the one who fired the fatal shot,” Odour told the court.
Njoroge is accused of driving a black Toyota Prado, registration KDH 600A, which investigators allege was used to block the Toyota Passo, registration KDJ 609D, in which Dr Mutiso was travelling.
Kinuthia, meanwhile, is alleged to have used motorcycle registration KMGZ 980D to transport Kimoi to and from the scene of the shooting.
The DCI said the investigation remains active and that other suspected participants are yet to be arrested.
Ballistic evidence links pistol to shooting
Investigators told the court that two spent cartridges and two bullet fragments were recovered from the scene and submitted for forensic examination.
A Mini Jericho pistol, serial number 47302127, was subsequently recovered and examined.
The DCI said preliminary ballistic findings linked the recovered cartridge cases and a bullet head to the firearm.
Investigators further told the court that the pistol had been issued to a senior police officer who remains at large.
The alleged connection between a serving police officer, the firearm and the shooting forms a central part of the investigation.
The court was also told that Kimoi’s status as a serving police officer was among the considerations in granting the custodial orders, alongside concerns about public interest and possible interference with witnesses.
Land dispute among possible motives
The DCI is investigating a longstanding land dispute involving Dr Mutiso as one possible motive for the killing.
According to the court documents, the dispute concerns L.R. No. 1504/13, which is the subject of proceedings before a court in Machakos.
Investigators told the court that the dispute “might be one of the motives for killing the deceased”, although the allegation remains part of an ongoing investigation and has not been established as the definitive motive.
Detectives are also examining whether the killing was connected to an earlier incident in which Dr Mutiso reported being threatened.
Earlier attempt on Mutiso investigated
The DCI told the court that Dr Mutiso had previously reported an alleged attempt on her life.
On July 7, 2026, she reportedly told police that two armed men riding a motorcycle confronted her near Junction Mall along Ngong Road.
According to the investigators, the men pointed a firearm at her before she managed to escape.
The incident was reported at Kilimani Police Station under OB No. 63 of July 7, 2026.
The DCI alleges that Kimoi was among the two men involved in that earlier incident.
Investigators are examining the reported confrontation alongside other evidence as they seek to establish whether it was connected to the subsequent murder.
Husband identified as key witness
The DCI has identified Dr Mutiso’s husband as a key witness in the investigation but told the court that he has not yet recorded a comprehensive statement because of the trauma surrounding his wife’s death.
Investigators say his evidence could be important in establishing whether Dr Mutiso had received previous threats and identifying people who may have followed or monitored her before the shooting.
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The State argued that releasing the three suspects could expose the husband and other witnesses to intimidation or interference.
DCI seeks more time to complete investigation
Investigators told the court that several critical aspects of the case remain outstanding.
These include tracing and arresting other suspects, recovering additional firearms allegedly connected to the killing, analysing CCTV footage and call-data records, examining the vehicles and motorcycle seized during the investigation, and recording statements from witnesses who have not yet been interviewed.
The DCI also wants to establish the precise roles of other people believed to have participated in the killing.
Corporal Odour argued that continued detention was necessary because suspects who remain at large could potentially communicate with those already arrested and interfere with the investigation.
The State further warned that releasing the suspects could allow them to coordinate their accounts, destroy documentary or electronic evidence and frustrate efforts to establish what happened.
The three suspects have not been convicted of any offence. The allegations against them remain subject to the ongoing investigation and any subsequent court proceedings.
Dr Mutiso was shot dead on July 29, 2026, while travelling in a Toyota Passo in Upper Hill, Nairobi. The incident was initially reported at Kibra Police Station under OB No. 35 of July 29, before the DCI Homicide Investigations Bureau took over the case.
The court directed that the matter return on September 10, 2026, for further directions.
