Court orders mental assessment for two murder suspects

A court has ordered two suspects linked to the murder of an employee of a British businessman in Mombasa to undergo mental assessment to determine if they are fit to stand trial.

The suspects Ibrahim Sihaj and Mzee Ali Mzee, who have been under investigation for over 30 days, are facing murder charges before the High Court.

Mombasa Resident Magistrate Green Odera ordered the suspects to be taken to Coast General Referral and Teaching Hospital for mental assessment following the application by lawyer Purity Musembi.

“The suspects will be taken to Coast General Referral and Teaching Hospital for a mental check-up if they are fit to stand murder trial and be brought back on September 24, 2026," said Odera.

Before the incident on June 24, 2026, the suspects are believed to have allegedly received information in Nairobi about a Tanzanian who had granite worth millions of shillings.

Investigations reveal that the suspects later met the Tanzanian at City Mall in Nyali.

During the meeting, which was attended by the Tanzanian and a friend, the suspects lured the two to an abandoned house, where they forcefully robbed the Tanzanian of granite worth Sh15 million.

The Tanzanian and the friend later reported the matter to Nyali police, who visited the house on the same day.

The police went to the house in question and stumbled on a body.

Sources confided in The Standard that the police discovered that the suspects allegedly killed the caretaker before taking the duo into the house.

“The CID, acting on information, apprehended the two who will now face murder charges after the psychiatrist report is ready," said the source.

Police found that the two suspects could have murdered the caretaker and later lied to the Tanzanians that they were the owners of the house.

At the police station, the Tanzanian said the suspects allegedly threatened to shoot him if he resisted during the robbery.

The granite was later recovered from the suspects, which will be used as exhibit during the murder trial in the High Court.