A police officer implicated in the murder of a U.S Embassy staffer in Nairobi who was shot dead outside a Kiambu nightclub will be held for a further 14 days to allow for investigations.
A court ruled corporal Dennis Mwai Irungu was arrested on Monday afternoon.
The officer is said to have been acting as a bodyguard to Comfort Homes Kenya director Hezekiel Kariuki.
The agency had a party at the joint when the incident happened.
Kiambu Magistrate Wanjiru Ng’ang’a delivered the ruling on Tuesday in response to a request from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI).
Detective Reuben Mwaniki of the DCI sought to detain Irungu, the prime suspect in the murder of U.S. Embassy engineer Anthony Njomo, saying they needed more time to gather evidence and round up witnesses.
Njomo was an electrician at the embassy.
Mwaniki further highlighted how the deceased, who was imbibing drinks at Quikin Bar and Lounge in Kiambu town, was fatally shot outside the premises following a bar fight that spilled onto the streets.
“At the time of his death, the deceased was outside the pub having a conversation with a friend when the respondent shot him from the back,” Mwaniki told the court.
One spent cartridge was recovered and preserved as evidence.
Authorities recovered his assigned pistol along with 15 rounds of ammunition, a broken trigger guard, and a missing serial number.
“He is a murder suspect and procedure also requires that he be evaluated mentally and be remanded at Kiambu Police Station for 14 days. We also believe he is in a position to interfere with witnesses.”
The magistrate ruled that the period to conclude investigations into the incident had not been adequate and that there was a likelihood the respondent would interfere with witnesses.
And the homicide detectives at the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) headquarters have taken over the investigations.
The team visited the scene on Monday as part of the probe into the matter.
A Kiambu court Monday allowed police to hold two other suspects arrested earlier on for 10 to conclude investigations.
The investigating officer Peter Kingawi had applied to be given 20 days.
Njomo is said to have been hit by a stray bullet while standing across a road while speaking on the phone near the popular Kiambu nightclub.
Fresh details have emerged on what prompted the fatal shooting of the electrician at the US embassy in Nairobi outside a club in Kiambu Town.
Police said he was a bystander when he was shot outside Quickin Lounge in Kiambu town on Saturday morning.
Investigation show the shooting began with a dispute between groups accusing each other of seducing their women.
The court papers name Nason Kiteme and Joseph Njenga as the first and second respondents.
The two are a driver and handler of Kariuki.
They are said to have been part of two groups enjoying a night out and holding a party for the firm on Saturday when a disagreement over women escalated.
“The first respondent was at Quick-in Lounge promoting the music of one musician John Njagi with others when a misunderstanding between the second respondent and his party arose,” a DCI officer investigating the murder told the Kiambu law courts.
“A fight between the two parties started, where the group of the first respondent and the second respondent disagreed about each group accusing the other on seducing their women.”
One of the groups is said to have been under the protection of armed security during the scuffle that spilled outside the nightclub.
“The fight went outside the Quick-in lounge where one group which had armed bouncer shot a reveler who was standing near the fighting zone,” the DCI officer added.
According to investigations, the shooting victim was not involved in the commotion.
Quick-in Lounge, where the incident is said to have occurred, said in a statement to the media on Sunday that CCTV footage from the incident had been turned over to police who were investigating the incident.
The lounge management said guns within its premises are forbidden, and that the incident happened right outside the premises, and was captured by CCTV cameras facing the road.
Email your news TIPS to Editor@kahawatungu.com or WhatsApp +254707482874