A Nairobi court on Tuesday allowed the
Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) to detain two suspects linked to
the murder of Kasipul Member of Parliament Charles Were for 23 days to allow
for further investigations.
This is after Principal magistrate Irene Gichobi
dismissed their application
that sought to disqualify herself from handling the case.
Gichobi said the application lacked merit.
The prosecution while seeking to detain the
suspects for a further 30 days, argued that the two are central figures in what
they described as a “well-oiled, choreographed criminal group” behind the MP’s murder.
The prosecution told the court that one of the
suspects was actively tracking the MP’s movements on the day he was murdered,
while the second was arrested in possession of a pistol later confirmed by
ballistic experts to be the murder weapon.
“There could not be any better reason to justify
continued detention,” the prosecution stated.
They allege that the killing was not random but
rather “meticulously planned and executed”.
According to the prosecution, suspects have not
yet been interrogated, and one of them had been on the run before his
arrest in Nakuru on May 7.
Police also argued that key electronic devices
like laptops were yet to be recovered and the phones seized from the suspects
were undergoing forensic analysis.
The prosecution further argued that releasing
the suspects at this stage would jeopardise the investigation.
“There is already evidence obtained through
admissions by suspects in custody, and physical evidence linking the two to the
murder,” the court heard.
However, the defense, led by lawyers Danstan
Omari, Cliff Ombeta, Sam Nyaberi, and Martina Swiga, strongly opposed the
application, arguing that the prosecution had failed to provide compelling
reasons to deny bail as required under Article 49 of the Constitution.
While being cross-examined, Inspector Oliver
Nabonwe said that despite arresting the suspect on May 7 in Nakuru, no
interrogation had taken place.
“We only visited him to check on his
well-being,” he told the court.
He also said that no murder weapon was recovered
from the director.
Under questioning by Ombeta, the inspector also
said he had not verified whether the suspect was a university student or a
public officer.
The two will be detained at Kasarani police station until June 11.
So far, 12 suspects have been arrested over the murder of the MP on April 30, 2025, at the junction of Valley Road/Ngong Road in a traffic jam.
The killer weapon has also been recovered and confirmed to have been used in the mission.
