MERU, Kenya January 7 -Two more suspects were on Sunday arrested in connection to the murder of blogger Daniel Muthiani alias Snipper.
The arrests bring to seven, the total number of suspects so far arrested that include Mwangaza’s county staff and relatives.
One of the suspects arrested on Sunday has been identified as Brian Mwenda, a boda boda rider who was arrested on the outskirts of Gachanka village, Ntima East division in North Imenti.
Homicide detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) headquarters on Saturday declared the governor’s residence a crime scene as preliminary investigations reveal the killing was planned and executed by her close associates.
The detectives had earlier arrested five suspect among them Kawira’s brother and bodyguard Kenneth Murangiri Guantai; Director of Protocol in her government Kenneth Mutuma Matiri alias Kasigi; Fredrick Muriuki Kiugu; Frankline Kimathi; and Timothy Kinoti.
In an application filed at Kiambu Magistrate court the detectives want the suspects detained at Muthaiga police station for 21 days to enable them complete investigations.
Circumstantial evidence has linked the governor’s office to the murder with detectives saying it was unlikely that killers acted without her knowledge or consent of Governor Mwangaza.
A call data analysis of the suspects also established a pattern of communication before the killing of the blogger.
“There was constant but unusual communication between the suspects before and even after the murder of Snipper,” one of the detectives said.
It however yet to be established if Kawira’s residence was the primary or secondary crime scene.
A primary crime scene is where the actual crime occurred while a secondary crime scene which is related to the crime but not the actual place where the actual crime was committed, like where the body was dumped.
The probe seeks to, among other things, establish the mastermind of the plan to eliminate Sniper and how the killers were procured.
Under section 20 of the Penal Code, a principal offender includes the one who committed the actual act, one who abets or aids or omits to do something for purposes of aiding or abetting the commission of an offence.
Sniper disappeared on December 2,2023 before his body was recovered dumped in a thicket on the banks of River Mutonga in Tharaka Nithi county on December 16.
The Chief Government pathologist Johansen Oduor who conducted the postmortem on December 22 said the deceased was tortured before being strangled to death.
Snipper had, in his social media posts, recorded videos criticizing the governor and according to the DCI, the suspects had told him that the governor wanted them to work together.
In the application the DCI said another suspect who is also in custody named Vincent Murithi alias Supuu o Mioro lured the deceased through a phone call that the county boss wanted to meet him for truce before he travels from his home at Kabuitu in Igembe south.
“The deceased was lured through a phone call to come and meet the governor whom he used to publicly criticize so that they can make peace and work together,” reads part of the application.
Want to send us a story? Contact Shahidi News Tel: +254115512797 (Mobile & WhatsApp)
