Two people were Monday charged with murder before Kiambu High Court in connection with the murder of Meru based blogger Daniel Muthiani Bernard Alias Sniper.
Vincent Murithi Kirimi Alias Supuu O’mioro and Murangiri Kenneth Guantai Alias Tali were charged with murder contrary to Section 203 as read with Section 204 of the Penal Code (Cap. 63) after the mental assessments determined that they were both fit to stand trial.
Guantai is a brother and bodyguard to Meru governor Kawira Mwangaza.
They pleaded not guilty before Lady Justice Dorah Chepkwony and will be remanded at Industrial Area Remand Prison pending filing a bail application by the defense and a subsequent response by the prosecution.
It is alleged that the accused persons, on diverse dates between December 2, 2023 and December 6, 2023 at River Mutonga in Ciakariga Sub-County within Tharaka Nithi County, jointly with others not before court, murdered Daniel Muthiani Bernard Alias Sniper.
The court directed the Probation and Aftercare Service to conduct a social inquiry and file a pre-bail report within 14 days.
The matter will be mentioned on February 29, 2024.
On Friday, police recovered the vehicle that was used to abduct the Sniper and later dispose his body at Mutonga River in Chiakariga area of Tharaka Nithi.
The murder happened on December 2, 2023.
The identification and subsequent recovery of the vehicle, a silver Toyota Premio followed thorough forensic analysis of crucial leads, which pointed to a residential place at Canopy area of Kithoka, Meru county.
In the latest establishments, the investigating team has identified Supuu as the driver who hired the vehicle on the date of abduction and gruesome murder of Sniper, ferrying other three occupants including Brian Mwenda, Christus Manyara Kiambi and Boniface Kithinji Njihia alias DJ Kaboom.
Further investigations are ongoing with the Homicide team working expeditiously on the case.
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.
Chief Government pathologist Johansen Oduor who conducted the postmortem on December 22 said the deceased was tortured before being strangled. He also had fractured ribs.
Police say Supuu 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.
According to investigators, the deceased was lured by the five suspects through a phone call alleging that Governor Mwangaza wanted to meet him. She was however not in the office and reports say she did not meet him.
A Kibera court had directed Boniface Githinji, Brian Mwenda, and Grace Kathambi be separately held at Gigiri police station or any other station pending investigation.
The matter shall be mentioned on January 29, 2024. Mwenda, is a bodaboda rider in Meru.
He was arrested on the outskirts of Gachanka village, Ntima East division in North Imenti.
Police from DCI on January 6 stormed and pitched tent at the home of governor Mwangaza in Milimani estate, cordoning it off for the better part of the day.
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