Police officer Elijah Kibelion Kimoi, Daniel Njoroge and Kevin Kinuthia have been arraigned in court in connection with the murder of Dr Victoria Nthunya Mutiso, as the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) seeks 30 days to complete investigations.
In an affidavit filed in court, DCI Homicide Investigations Bureau officer Corporal Romana Odour said preliminary investigations had established the alleged roles of the three suspects.
Odour said Kimoi is suspected of firing the fatal shot, while Njoroge allegedly drove a black Toyota Prado, registration number KDH 600A, which investigators say blocked the Uber Toyota Passo, KDJ 609D, in which Dr Mutiso was travelling.
Kinuthia is accused of using a motorcycle, registration number KMGZ 980D, to transport Kimoi to and from the scene.
The three were arrested on August 7, 2026, in what the DCI described as an intelligence-led operation. They were subsequently held at Ruaraka, Pangani and Gigiri police stations respectively.
Dr Mutiso, a former Director of the African Institute of Mental and Brain Health, was shot dead on July 29, 2026, in Upper Hill, Kilimani Sub-County, Nairobi, while inside the Toyota Passo.
The incident was reported at Kibra Police Station under OB Number 35 of July 29 before the DCI Homicide Investigations Bureau took over the case.
Investigators recovered two spent cartridges and two bullet fragments from the scene. A Mini Jericho pistol, serial number 47302127, was later recovered and subjected to ballistic examination.
According to the DCI, preliminary ballistic findings linked the recovered cartridges and bullet head to the firearm. Investigators further said the pistol had been issued to a senior police officer who is yet to be traced.
The investigation has also focused on a land dispute involving the deceased. Dr Mutiso was involved in a dispute over L.R. Number 1504/13, a matter pending before the Machakos court.
The DCI says the dispute could have been one of the motives for the killing.
Investigators are also looking into an earlier incident in which Dr Mutiso reported being threatened.
On July 7, 2026, she reported that two-armed men riding a motorcycle confronted her near Junction Mall along Ngong Road. The men allegedly pointed a gun at her, but she managed to escape and later reported the incident at Kilimani Police Station under OB Number 63 of July 7.
Investigators allege that Kimoi was one of the men involved in the earlier incident.
Dr Mutiso’s husband has been identified as a key witness, although investigators say he has not yet recorded a comprehensive statement because of the traumatic circumstances surrounding his wife’s death.
His evidence is expected to assist investigators in establishing previous threats against the deceased and identifying people suspected of trailing her before the murder.
The DCI told the court that several aspects of the investigation remain outstanding, including tracing other firearms suspected to have been used, analysing CCTV footage and call-data records, examining the recovered vehicles and motorcycle, recording additional witness statements and establishing the roles of other suspected accomplices.
Some of the alleged accomplices remain at large.
The State argues that releasing the three suspects could allow them to interfere with witnesses, coordinate their accounts, destroy documentary or electronic evidence or obstruct efforts to apprehend other suspects.
“Continued detention is therefore necessary to preserve the integrity of the investigations,” Corporal Odour said.
The DCI is seeking 30 days to complete the investigations before deciding whether to formally charge the suspects.
The case is scheduled for mention on September 10, 2026.
