Detectives drawn from Thika West Sub- county arraigned three notorious criminals behind a string of crimes, including murder, violent robbery, and abductions in Kiambu and Murang’a counties.
The infamous trio, Peter Gitau Muchiri, 25, James Mwangi Njogu, 45, and Francis Kimani Maina, 36, arrest and subsequent arraignment follow a meticulous intelligence-led operation conducted by detectives from the Operations Support Unit (OSU) and the Crime Research and Intelligence Bureau (CRIB), as well as detectives from Kiambu, Thika West, and Gatanga.
On March 9, 2026, the trio appeared before the Thika Law Courts, where they were slapped with charges of robbery with violence. In this incident, the suspects shot a victim in the neck before snatching his mobile phone, leaving him sprawled in agony as they vanished into thin air like ghosts in the night.
They pleaded not guilty to the charges and are now locked up at Thika West Police Station as the case proceeds.
Piling onto his already weighty charge sheet, one suspect Peter Gitau Muchiri is also facing charges of Escape from Lawful Custody that took place on July 5, 2019.
The escape saw him and 18 other remandees bolt from the clutches of law enforcement while being transported from Thika Law Courts to Industrial Area Prison. Before his escape, Muchiri was already entangled in another robbery with violence case. He pleaded guilty to the escape charges, with a mention scheduled for March 23, 2026.
Additionally, Peter Gitau Muchiri and James Mwangi Njogu also face charges related to the brutal murder of 75-year-old businessman Joseph Gitonga Kahwai. The elderly man was abducted from Thika town on January 22, 2026, only to tragically meet his end within Spur Mall in Juja.
Their plea-taking is scheduled for March 16, 2026.
As detectives continue to connect the dots in the gang’s criminal network, a production order has also been issued requiring the suspects to appear before the Kikuyu Law Courts on Thursday, March 12, 2026, where they will face additional charges of robbery with violence.
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