The High Court has granted an application allowing investigators to detain suspects for 30 days in connection with the killing of clinical psychologist Dr. Victoria Nthunya Mutiso. The three men appeared before Principal Magistrate Paul Mutai at the Milimani Law Courts in Nairobi on Monday, and the court approved the request as investigations continue.
The court ordered that Kevin Kinuthia Ngugi be held at Gigiri Police Station, Daniel Mwangi Njoroge at Pangani Police Station, and Elijah KibelionKimoi at Ruaraka Police Station. If investigators complete their work before the 30-day period ends, the suspects will be brought back to court for further directions.
The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) told the court that the suspects played specific roles in the killing. Magistrate Paul Mutai said the court could not guarantee their safety if they were released at this stage. He further noted that one of the suspects is a serving police officer and that releasing the respondents on bond could allow them to interfere with ongoing investigations.
In an affidavit, DCI Homicide Investigations Bureau officer Corporal Romana Odour said preliminary inquiries had already identified the alleged roles of the three suspects. Odour stated that Kimoi fired the fatal shot. Investigators allege that Njoroge drove a black Toyota Prado with registration number KDH 600A, which reportedly blocked an Uber Toyota Passo registered as KDJ 609D in which Dr. Mutiso was travelling.
The affidavit also claims that Kinuthia used motorcycle registration number KMGZ 980D to transport Kimoi to and from the scene. Investigators said the three suspects were arrested on August 7, 2026, during what the DCI described as an “intelligence-led operation,” and were placed in custody at Ruaraka, Pangani, and Gigiri police stations, respectively. Dr. Mutiso was shot dead on July 29, 2026, in Nairobi’s Upper Hill area as she travelled to work in an Uber vehicle.
Dr. Victoria Mutiso Murder Probe Widens
Detectives told the court that the killing involved multiple people and was planned, with investigations focusing on financing, surveillance, logistics, and the execution of the attack. Two other police officers wanted in connection with the murder remain at large, and detectives believe they may be hiding in Nakuru after urging them to surrender for questioning.
Authorities added that the two officers being sought obtained permission from their workplaces to travel to their rural homes on medical grounds two days after the murder. Police said the suspects later switched off their mobile phones and went underground.
Investigators have further arrested four other individuals, including a mother and her two children, as well as a land broker, as the probe expands. Police said they have recovered a motorcycle, two four-wheel-drive vehicles, and a police firearm believed to have been used in the murder.
Detectives are also seeking firearm registers from Dagoretti, Nderi, Karinde, and Thogoto police stations to investigate the movement and chain of custody of the weapon, which investigators say remains in their possession and is believed to have been issued to a police officer.
Fresh details from the probe indicate that the suspects were allegedly promised Sh1.5 million to carry out the killing, with Sh100,000 reportedly paid as a down payment. Investigators believe the remaining amount was to be shared among three people after completion of the assignment. Police further allege that part of the balance was to be raised through the sale of a Range Rover that has since been seized.
Authorities say the vehicle was among four cars allegedly stolen from Dr. Mutiso’s home in Mlolongo in February 2026 during a raid in which police say forged documents were used. Investigators have linked the murder to a 20-acre parcel of land in Mlolongo, where inquiries into the circumstances surrounding the property are still ongoing.
Police also recovered another Toyota Prado believed to have been used to block the vehicle carrying Dr. Mutiso in Kisii County.
The case will be mentioned on September 10 for further directions.
