Medical drugs deal gone bad led to killing of two Katani women- police probe

GSU officer Anthony Kilonzo (centre) is escorted outside Milimani courts after the police were granted 21 days to investigate murder accusations. [George Njunge/Standard]

A fall-out between business partners over a-Sh40-million medical drugs deal reportedly led to the killings of a woman and her daughter-in-law in Katani, Machakos County.

Yesterday, a hitman — a police officer — attempted to confess in court to being hired by a business partner of Fredrick Mwangi to kill the latter’s wife on Saturday.

Mwangi was injured during the shooting by two gunmen who killed his wife Purity Wanjiru, 35, and his mother Ann Katita, 60.

Did not identify

Anthony Kilonzo, a GSU officer, claimed he was approached by a friend, whom he did not identify, to kill Mwangi’s wife.

“I recorded statements when I was at the hospital, and yesterday when I was arrested…I confessed that I was called by a friend to do the job of killing the lady,” Kilonzo said when he was arraigned in Nairobi.

Muthoni Nzibe, the magistrate, however, cut him short, asking him whether he understood the application by the prosecution seeking to detain him for 21 days to complete investigation.

Sources said Kilonzo told police they killed the elderly woman because she raised the alarm. Ann was opening the gate for her son, Mwangi, who was arriving home from work with his wife, when two gunmen riding on a motorbike attacked them.

“They were supposed to kill the wife of Mwangi to send a message to him. He says the man who hired them had a beef with Mwangi over a drugs deal they had that went bad over failed money pledges,” said an official aware of the probe.

Police have since learnt that the killers were paid Sh2 million for the mission. Half of the money was paid before the murder and the balance soon after.

Hit man killed

The other hitman was killed by police on Wednesday in Katani.

The murder plot is believed to have unravelled after the GSU officer sustained a gunshot wound during the scuffle and sought treatment from a hospital that alerted police.

The suspect, who is alleged to have hired the killers, is said to have been angered by Mwangi because the latter did not meet his end of the bargain.

But it was not clear how much money the suspect was owed, although the total deal was worth Sh40 million.

Mwangi and his wife ran a bar in Mlolongo.

Police are waiting for Mwangi, who was shot in a scuffle with one of the attackers, to recuperate and later bury his wife and mother, before they can question him further.

“He is in pain. Let him mourn first. But we will get all those behind this issue,” said Director of Criminal Investigations George Kinoti.

In the meantime, police are looking for at least three suspects who are linked to the murder of the two women. One of the suspects has been traced to Busia and another to Murang’a, where teams of detectives are pursuing them.

Mwangi told police he tried to wrestle the gunman to take away the murder weapon after he had shot and killed his mother and wife. In the process, the gunman shot himself in the leg. The shooting happened on October 27.

Gunman arrested

The gunman turned out to be a General Service Unit officer, who was arrested while seeking medical attention at a Nairobi hospital. Yesterday, the prosecution had sought a custodial order, saying police were yet to complete their investigations into the two murders. He was remanded until November 21.

Police confirmed that the suspect shot himself on the left leg during the scuffle with Mwangi. The suspect helped police to recover two of the firearms used in the killings.

Police shot and killed an accomplice to Kilonzo in an operation on Wednesday.

Head of operations at DCI headquarters Danson Diru said they recovered several hoods and masks used by the criminals to hide their faces.

Two AK47 rifles were also recovered from the suspect.