• The prosecution had applied to detain Mugure for 21 days to complete investigations.
• The case will be mentioned on December 9.
Image: /THE STAR
A Nanyuki court has granted detectives 21 days to detain an ex-KDF soldier and his accomplice to complete investigations following the killing of his wife andd two children three weeks ago.
Chief Magistrate Lucy Mutai directed that major Peter Mwaura Mugure and Collins Pamba be incarcerated at Nanyuki and Naromuru police stations respectively.
Central region senior assistant director of prosecution Peter Mailanyi had applied for the two to be detained for 21 days to enable investigators to complete their work arguing more suspects were being sought.
This follows the murder of Nwaura’s estranged wife Joyce Syombua aged 31 years and children Shanice Maua (10) and Prince Michael aged five years.
“If the suspect is released on bond, he might interfere with investigations since he is a senior officer in the army. He should be detained at Nanyuki police station and the accomplice at Naromoru station” Mailanyi said adding that DNA samples had been taken from the deceased persons.
He also told the court that postmortem examination of the three bodies that are lying at Nanyuki Teaching and Referral hospital mortuary was yet to be done.
Mwaura was arrested on Saturday and after being grilled for hours.
He led detectives to the defunct Nanyuki Municipal Council cemetery in Thingithu estate in Nanyuki town where bodies of the three people were exhumed.
Pamba (21) and who was not represented in court is a casual labourer at Laikipia Airbase was arrested later.
The two suspects were escorted in court premises under heavy security by scores of police officers, detectives and army officers from Laikipia Airbase.
Angry residents camped outside the courtroom baying for their blood.
On October 26 this year, Syombua reportedly received a communication from his estranged husband and whom she sired two children with, Shanice and prince Michael that he wanted to meet them in Nanyuki town, his work station.
Multiple sources have told The Star Newspaper that Syombua together with her children used a public means to travel from Nairobi to Nanyuki and met Mwaura at his Laikipia Airbase work station.
Sources have indicated that Syombua arrived at Laikipia Airbase the same day and was in constant communication with her relatives in whatever move she made. Her mobile phone was later recovered abandoned at a 4NTE matatu that had commuted from Nakuru.
“Major Mwaura who is the prime suspect in the murder of the three people and who is in police custody lives in a single room in the camp which is not around to family members. We suspect he poisoned them and maybe killed them elsewhere” the investigator said.