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Slain Kabete MP George Muchai was a troubled man by the time he was murdered on the morning of Saturday, February 7.[FILE]
One of the suspects arrested in connection with the murder and robbery of former Kabete MP George Muchai, his two bodyguards, and his driver has denied any involvement in the crime.
Mustapha Kimani Anyoni, alias Musto, defending himself before Milimani Chief Magistrate Lucas Onyina, rejected the prosecution’s claim that he was found in possession of one of the pistols stolen from Muchai’s aides during the killings on the night of February 6, 2015.
“I had no involvement in the crime,” Mustapha said, standing calmly before Magistrate Onyina. “I don’t know these people. I have no ties to the murder or robberies, and the claims against me are a fabrication.”
Muchai, his driver, and two bodyguards were shot dead in a brutal attack near the General Post Office (GPO) in Nairobi in the early hours of February 6, 2015.
Seven individuals, including the alleged mastermind, Mustapha, have been charged in connection with the horrific incident.
According to the prosecution, Mustapha is the one who had hired a taxi to ferry the killers to Kinoo.
During the hearing, prosecution witnesses, including a protected witness known as XYZ, a taxi driver, vividly recalled that at around 3:30 AM on the night of the murder, Mustapha contacted him while he was parked at a petrol station in Kangemi.
Mustapha then boarded the taxi and instructed the driver to pick up other individuals in the way.
The driver testified that he had known Mustapha for some time, as he had previously hired the taxi.
Among those picked up was Eric Muyiera Isabwa, whom the prosecution claims were the lone masked gunman who killed Muchai and his aide at GPO.
The taxi also picked up Raphael Kimani, alias "Butcher," and his girlfriend, Margaret Njeri
According to the evidence, Raphael had received Sh 30,000 a few hours before the murder from Muchai’s driver who was also killed.
Both Raphael and Njeri are allegedly connected to the planning of Muchai's murder and six prior robberies that took place five hours before the MP’s killing.
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The taxi driver, visibly shaken during his testimony, recalled unsettling comments made by Mustapha during their journey, which raised suspicion.
“He kept asking if the crime scene had been cleared of evidence,” the driver testified.
“It was clear to me they were talking about the murder.”
Mustapha eventually directed the driver to a rough road, where they encountered two more individuals who emerged from the bushes.
“These men came with bags, and I even saw an AK-47,” the driver testified. “They asked me to drive them to Kinoo, where one of them left with a bag. The men in the back seat discussed how none of the victims, including the bodyguards, had been left alive. I knew then that they had committed a murder.”
Mobile phone records provided by the prosecution showed that Mustapha was in frequent contact with his co-accused, including Raphael Kimani, on the night of the crime.
In his defense, Mustapha insisted that the calls were merely related to a meat order he placed at a local barbecue joint owned by Raphael.
“I saw the number on a poster in Kangemi. It was just for ordering food; I don’t know who these people are,” he said, shaking his head.
Mustapha further distanced himself from the murder or the robberies, stating that he did not know his co-accused before his arrest in Ruiru.
“Your honor, I was doing business selling second-hand clothes at the Kangemi Market when I was arrested. I don’t know any of these people in the dock,” Mustapha stated.
While being cross-examined by state prosecutor Willy Momanyi about his claim of not knowing any of his co-accused, he acknowledged knowing only Simon Wambugu, whom he described as a childhood friend.
This contradicts the testimony of the arresting officers, who stated that Mustapha led them to the house of the first accused person, Eric Muyiera Isabwa.
When asked by the prosecutor where he was on the fateful night of February 6, Mustapha said he could not remember but probably was at home with his grandmother in Kangemi.
Mustapha, who has since been found with a case to answer, also claimed that he was wrongly linked to the murder and robberies by arresting officers who tortured him and forced him to sign a confession statement.
“I received a call from a strange number, and the caller said, 'Ni Musto,' to which I replied, 'Ni Mustafa.' A few minutes later, I was suddenly thrown into the boot of a Subaru, tied with ropes, and asked why I killed Hon. Muchai. My protests that I knew nothing fell on deaf ears,” Mustapha told the court.
“My abductors threatened to pluck out my eyes if I didn’t cooperate, saying 'uta jua leo.' Fearing for my life, I gave in to their demands and admitted to having interacted with people I didn’t know before that day.”
His defense contradicts and leaves loopholes in the testimonies provided by arresting officers and other witnesses.
Mustapha disputed the place of his arrest, claiming, “Your honor, the arresting officers testified that they arrested me in Ruiru, Murera area, jointly with the fifth accused person. That is a lie.”
Mustapha, along with six others, has been charged with the offense of robbery with violence, where they allegedly hijacked and robbed two sisters, Gladys Waithira and Irene Muthoni.
The two women were forced into the trunk of their vehicle and later became witnesses to the shooting that killed Muchai, his driver, and his bodyguards.
Earlier testimonies from the two sisters revealed that their vehicle was used by the suspects to drive to the scene of the crime.
Mustapha is charged alongside Isabwa, Jane Wanjiru and co-accused persons Raphael Kimani, Stephen Astiva, Margaret Njeri, and Simon Wambugu.
The suspects face 10 counts of robbery with violence, as well as murder charges related to the death of George Muchai and his entourage at the High Court.
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The Standard Group Plc is a
multi-media organization with investments in media platforms spanning newspaper
print operations, television, radio broadcasting, digital and online services. The
Standard Group is recognized as a leading multi-media house in Kenya with a key
influence in matters of national and international interest.
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