Six suspects linked to Meru blogger to be arraigned in High Court

Kiambu,

Monday, January 15, 2023

KNA by Grace Naishoo

A Magistrate court in Kiambu has ordered that the six people suspected of killing Daniel Muthiani, a blogger from Meru County, be arraigned in high court within 72 hours.

Kiambu Resident Magistrate, Teresia Opondo, granted the orders filed under miscellaneous application by the Directorate of Criminal Investigations.

She ordered the five suspects who include Kenneth Mutua Gatiri alias Gasigi, Fredrick Muruiki Kiugi alias Pope, Franklin Kimathi alias Dudu Ras, Timothy Kinoti alias Timo and Murangiri Kenneth Guantai alias Tali be detained at Muthaiga Police Station. 

The six suspects Brian Mwenda, to be detained at Runda Police Station, to allow the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) to conclude investigations and all the six suspects are to be arraigned in high court on 17th January 2024.

The Meru county’s vocal blogger, Daniel Muthiani, alias Sniper is said to have disappeared on 2nd December 2023, and his badly mutilated body was found on 16th of December 2023 in Mutonga River at Tharaka Nithi County.

According to investigators, the deceased was lured by the five suspects through a phone call, alleging that Governor Mwangaza wanted to meet him.

The detectives have supposedly treated Governor Mwangaza’s residence as a possible area of interest in the probe after Detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) stormed the home of Meru Governor Kawira Mwangaza in Milimani Estate, just days after the arrest of the suspects and cordoned it off for investigations.

The killing of the famous blogger has garnered much public attention and has also been condemned by most of the country’s top leaders, including Interior Cabinet Secretary, Prof. Kithure Kindiki, who vowed stern action against the individuals involved.

According to the Miscellaneous Application Report, a post-mortem examination conducted on the body of the deceased at the Marimanti Level 4 Hospital mortuary in Tharaka Nithi, Meru County, revealed that the deceased died of strangulation.

Government pathologist Johansen Oduor, who conducted the examination, said Sniper had marks on his neck and exhibited signs of a person who had lacked oxygen.

He also had fractured ribs and showed injuries.

Courtesy; KNA