Governor Mwangaza issues demands to DCI

By Peter Ochieng

Meru governor Kawira Mwangaza has issued demands to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), connected to the murder of blogger Daniel Muthiani, alias Sniper.

The first term governor has been linked to the murder through his brother Kenneth Murangiri alias Tali, who is one of the suspects behind bars. 

Addressing the press on Friday, governor Mwangaza called on DCI to publicly provide detailed evidence uncovered during a recent raid at her residence, in the ongoing probe.

Flanked by her husband Murega Baichu, the county chief said if response fails to come from DCI, she will lead county residents in demos until her demands are met.

“By tomorrow the DCI should provide detailed evidence on what they found in my residence. Failure to that, we will protest as Meru residents until we receive that report,” she said.

She claimed that she knows an individual who contacted the blogger at least 15 times, before his death.

“Why haven’t the DCI told us that there was a person who contacted Sniper more than 15 times that same day to the last minute, and that the deputy governor sent him money? We demand to know,” said Mwangaza.

“We want to know which government officials sent the witnesses who have appeared in court money through M-Pesa. We know you. We want a clear explanation. We want the report from both sides.”

She said her family does not have a hand in the killing of the blogger.

“Our hands are clean, and we ardently desire for justice to be served impartially across the board. As a family, we request bloggers and the media to cease victimizing and slandering us based on unfounded and unsubstantiated allegations. To safeguard the integrity of my office, I request the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) and other investigating agencies to release a comprehensive report on the outcome of their investigations at the governor's official residence,” she added.

Meanwhile, Kiambu Law Courts on Friday ordered a mental assessment for suspects arrested in connection to the murder of blogger. Besides governor Mwangaza’s brother, the other suspect is Vincent Muriithi also known as Supuu.

The Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) said it had sought for the duo to be charged with murder, but the court directed that they be taken for mental assessment before standing trial.

"The deputy registrar allowed the prosecution application and directed that each suspect be subjected to a psychiatrist assessment and the report tabled in court before a plea is taken," the ODPP stated.

The two are set to face murder charges on 29th January, 2024.