The brother and son of Meru Governor Kawira Mwangaza are two of the five people detained in connection with the death of Meru blogger Daniel Muthiani, also known as Sniper.
In an application, the Director of Criminal Investigations (DCI) is requesting the detention of five additional suspects in connection with the murder of Meru blogger Daniel Muthiani, also known as Sniper.
The DCI requests that Kenneth Mutua, Fredrick Muriuki, Frankline Kimathi, Timothy Kinoti, and Murangiri Kenneth be held for 21 days at the Muthaiga Police Station in order to allow their investigations to be completed. The application was submitted to the Kiambu Magistrate Court.
The five suspects were taken into custody on January 4th in Meru County, and detectives from the investigation’s team booked them into several Kiambu and Nairobi County police stations.
“That from the time the respondents were arrested and the time to conclude the investigations has not been adequate and the applicant requires 21 days to enable the conclusion of the investigations while the respondent are in police custody,” the application read.
According to the application, the five suspects lured the Meru blogger through a phone call that Meru Governor Mwangaza whom he was criticizing politically wanted to meet him for a truce.
The deceased travelled from his home in Igembe South to meet the five suspects in Meru town and thereafter went missing prompting his family to raise alarm.
The Meru blogger was reported missing on December 2, 2023, and his body was found dumped in Mutonga River in Tharaka Nithi County on December 16, 2023.
A postmortem examination conducted by government pathologist Johansen Oduor at the Marimanti Level 4 Hospital Mortuary in Tharaka Nithi, Meru County revealed that he died after being strangled on the neck.
Sniper’s body had marks on his neck , he had fractured ribs and showed injuries on his head which suggested that he was strangled and he exhibited signs of a person who had lacked oxygen.
Already Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) has sought 21 days to hold Vincent Kirimi alias Supuu, the main suspect in the murder of Meru blogger Sniper.
According to a statement from the Office of Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP), the Inspector General of Police has also been given seven days to forward the murder inquiry file.
