A disagreement has ensued between Nyandarua North DCI detectives and officers from Ndaragua Police Station over the arrest and detention of 15 murder suspects.
The 15 suspects were arrested on May 25, 2021, over claims of being linked to the murder of Amos Gichuki. Since then, the DCI has been appealing for more time to investigate the suspects, while holding them at the local police station.
Appearing before Nyahururu Chief Magistrate Charles Obulutsa a week ago, Corporal Ben Korir from the DCI requested more time, arguing that they needed to conduct tests and other procedures which require time as samples need to be transported to Nairobi.
“We believe that the victim was murdered in the bar and carried home, about a kilometre away as some bloodstains were found in the bar, and at the back. We need time to take blood samples from the suspects and take them to the government chemist in Nairobi for testing,” Korir said as quoted by a local daily.
After the allocated time elapsed, Korir appeared in court again and pleaded for an extension arguing that they were yet to conclude the investigations.
Read More
His appeal did not sit well with Ndaragua police boss Sebastian Muika who accused the DCI of slacking in handling the case.
In his submissions to the court, Muika said the 15 suspects have filled the cell making it difficult to detain new suspects. He further noted that continuous detention of the suspects could pose a health risk to users of the station especially during this time of the pandemic.
“We have been remanding the suspects in our cells which are as small as two-by-eight feet for over 30 days now and little is being done by the DCI officers at the station to ensure that the suspects have been charged… There are no investigations that are being done. What they do is to take them out of the cells every morning to bask outside and later take them back to cells in the evening,” he said.
Following Muika’s submissions, the magistrate directed that the court be adjourned so that the police, DCI and representatives from the Office of the DPP can agree on a way forward regarding the suspects.
After deliberations, the magistrate ruled that the suspects should be released on a police bail as the matter is investigated.
