'They want our land': Ndetei family feud spills into Dr Mutiso's murder case

City Lawyer Angela Mulwa in court on August 21, 2026. [David Gichuru, Standard]

The family feud in Professor David Musyimi Ndetei’s family played out in plain sight in the corridors of justice, with his former wife now claiming alleged underhand dealings in her case, and her two children being on the dock, accused of murdering Victoria Mutiso.

Rose Mulwa, who is Ndetei’s ex-wife, her children, Angela and Chris, claimed an alleged biased and one-sided story.

They took turns to tell what they thought was not being told to the public. Rose went flat out on her marriage with Ndetei and their subsequent departure, which led to a divorce, and subsequent battle for control of the land which has been at the heart of the family’s court battles.

She claimed that Ndetei’s cupid struck her heart sometime in 1971 when he was a second-year medical student. Further, Rose claimed that she allegedly bankrolled his education in the United Kingdom (UK) to his PhD.

“I paid school fees for his children, and our wedding was at St. Andrews. We were blessed with four children,” the 75-year-old woman said, claiming that they parted ways after being married for 25 years. According to her account, this was in 1996. They have three children who have studied law and one IT expert.

Rose also alleged that the deceased, who is at the heart of the predicaments facing the family, was their office cleaner. The politician also claimed that she also schooled Mutiso.  She maintained that she was unaware that Ndetei had also melted Mutiso’s heart to a pulp and also betrothed her.

“I did not know they had an affair after I left him. I heard they had an affair, and they were formalising their wedding just the other day. The thing is, they were living in my house; even where they went to bury her is my property, which I bought when I came from the UK... They are using money to lock us in,” she alleged, adding that this was cursed money.

Rose asserted that she, Rose and Eric are not guilty of murder. She questioned who the complainant was in the case.

Angela, on the other hand, explained that the case over the 1.5 billion land parcel in Mlolongo, Mavoko, claimed to be at the heart of the family dispute, had been settled and her father and stepmother were required to leave by February this year. She alleged that unknown persons were interested in the property and had allegedly created a new title to it.

“The reason you are seeing my mother and me here is that we challenged this application, creating a new title without our consent from us. That is why all this is happening. Have you verified the title?” she paused.

Before Milimani magistrate Geoffrey Onsarigo, Rose alleged that money had been ‘poured’ to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) and the media to allegedly black out their side of the story.

“I want to tell the whole of Kenya, I am a victim of circumstances, I have not killed anybody, and I have done nothing wrong,” said Rose.

 Her son also addressed the court. He said that the State had allegedly conspired to prosecute them. This, he argued, was out of malice.

“I want to tell the court and the media that when I was called to record my statement, I exercised my Constitutional right to remain silent, and they threatened me that if I do not co-operate, they will increase the time and they will add more charges to murder,” the lawyer claimed before the Senior Assistant Director of Public Prosecutions Jalson Makori objected saying that the advocate was illegally giving evidence from the bar.

The battle did not stop at the magistrate court, where their file was closed to pave way for the murder charges.

When they appeared before Milimani Criminal High Court deputy registrar Adelaide Namabihi Sisenda, the DPP said that Rose and her son had declined to record statements.

This was in response to their lawyer Danstan Omari’s argument that they should be taken for a mental test before they appear before High Court Judge Kanyi Kimondo on Thursday this week.

Omari had suggested that the trio, who were at Kileleshwa, Kilimani, and Kibera Police Stations, should be allowed to stay together at one police station, as they were related.

“What God has put together, no man should separate,” he said.

 Makori, on the other hand, urged the DR to allow the Judge to come and issue a way forward on Thursday, instead of the trio being subjected to a psychiatric test within the two days. He argued that Rose and Eric had declined to write statements, and that the tests required two days' prior booking.

Sisenda directed that they appear before court without requiring them to go for a mental test before then.

Mbithe, a former Machakos governor candidate, and her son and daughter are among the prime suspects. They were arrested during an intelligence-led operation at their Karen home and later presented before court.