Two suspects linked to chief's murder surrender to police

Joseph Kangethe (right) and John Githinji after surrendered at the Directorate of Criminal Investigations headquarters in Nyeri over criminal activities.They two were arrested pending further investigations. [Photo: Kibata Kihu/Standard

Two men being hunted down in connection with the murder of a local chief surrendered to police in Nyeri County, boosting the war against crime in the region.

The two who were accompanied by Muslim Human Rights (MUHURI) chairman Khelef Khalifa who said the two sought intervention after living in fear for months.

“These young men came to us claiming their lives were in danger, we spoke to them and advised them to surrender to the police so that they would undergo the due process of the law,” Khalifa said.

The two men aged, 42, and 33, surrendered to Criminal Investigation officers at the Regional Headquarters, and were received by County Criminal Investigation Officer Jonah Kirui.

Mr Kirui said the two would be held in police custody and investigated before being charged with any crime.

“We cannot comment on whether or not these two individuals are going to be charged because we must carry out investigations to determine whether or not they have committed crimes they have been linked to,” he said.

Khalifa insisted that the organisation was keen in following the rule of law and asked the public to cooperate with the police and convince any criminals to surrender.

“As far as we are concerned and based on the information these two men have given us, they have several criminal records and links the outlawed Mungiki sect, also some of their acquaintances have been killed,” he explained.

Dark past

One of the suspects said that he was a father of four and had been arrested several times including in 2007 for touting.

He was one of three suspects arrested and arraigned in court in connection with the murder of with robbery, shooting and killing the Othaya DCIO Jonah Kimanzi Nzau in 2016.

Chief inspector Nzau was killed on June13, 2009 by armed robbers as he was heading to his house from Othaya town at around midnight.

Inspector Nzau had just been dropped by a boda boda operator outside his house at police quarters near the Othaya approved school ground.

The gangsters shot him in the stomach. The robbers also stole his pistol, a police communication gadget, money and a mobile phone.

Mr Nzau was known as the officer who fearlessly fought the outlawed Mungiki sect criminals in Nyeri and especially in Othaya were the group was terrorising residents back in 2001.

The suspect said he was released by the courts on December 2017 and was working in Kingongo when he was again linked to the murder of a local Chief Peter Kimiti.

The 6pm incident happened in August when four armed men walked up to the chief in his home, shot him and calmly walked away from the scene.
“I have had police in my home, and place of work severally since the chief was killed I have had no peace they want to finish me,”he  said.

The other suspect, a father of six, said he was first arrested in 2000 and charged with robbery and sentenced to prison but was released in 2006, he was later arrested in 2008 over the attempted murder and carjacking of an OCS in Nyeri town.

“The police were in my place of work in Majengo and I fear they were looking for me,” he said.

Last week Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i asked officer to continue with the crackdown to apprehend the criminals terrorising local residents.