DCI Officials Charged in Kiambu Court for 2022 Political Campaign-Linked Murders

Thirteen police officers, an intelligence official, and a wildlife warden appeared before a Kiambu court on Thursday, February 20th, to face charges in connection with the 2022 abduction and murder of two Indian nationals and a Kenyan taxi driver.

The accused, all formerly attached to the now-disbanded Special Service Unit (SSU) of the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), have pleaded not guilty to the charges. The trial is presided over by Justice Abigail Mshila.
The victims, identified as Indian nationals Mohamed Zaid Sami and Zulfiqar Ahmed Khan, and Kenyan taxi driver Nicodemus Mwania Mwange, were allegedly murdered in July 2022. The case has drawn significant attention, particularly due to speculation linking Sami and Khan to the digital campaign team of then-Deputy President William Ruto in the lead-up to the 2022 General Election.

Claims suggest the two Indians were campaign associates being assisted by Mwange, who was facilitating their logistics. The timing of the murders, just a month before the election, ignited intense speculation. According to an affidavit filed by investigating officer Michael Kirui, the victims were deliberately targeted, and their deaths were not coincidental. While the affidavit did not explicitly detail the motive behind the killings, it depicted a rogue unit within the DCI allegedly tasked with eliminating specific targets.

The document identified Chief Inspector of Police Peter Muthee Gachiko as the operational commander of the alleged plot, with Francis Muendo Ndonye and John Mwangi Kamau implicated as key figures in the abduction and execution. Prosecutors from the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, including Everlyn Onunga, Augustine Gacharia, Victor Owiti, Allen Mulama, Benjamin Kelwon, and Kennedy Amwayi, presented evidence including call data records showing constant communication among the accused, supporting the claim of their involvement in a meticulously planned operation.

GPS track logs of the vehicles involved also placed the accused at the crime scenes. In addition to Chief Inspector Peter Muthee Gachiko, those charged include Inspector of Police James Kibosek, Corporals Joseph Kamau Mbugua, David Chepchieng, Joseph Mwenda, John Mwangi, and Hillary Limo, and Constables Stephen Luseno, Simon Muhuga, Paul Njogu, Boniface Otieno, Elkana Njeru, and Fredrick Thuku. NIS officer John Wanjiku Macharia and KWS warden Michael Kiplagat were also indicted.

All suspects have been detained since January 2023 and were transported from Industrial Area Remand Prison for the court proceedings. Furthermore, allegations have surfaced that the accused have been conspiring, through proxies, to undermine the case by planning to neutralize the investigating officers. The court is scheduled to reconvene on March 20, 2025, to determine bail or bond conditions for the accused.