- Detectives have arrested three additional suspects in connection with the killing of Dr Victoria Nthunya Mutiso.
- Two suspects, including a serving police officer, were arrested in Kampala with help from Ugandan authorities.
- A third suspect was intercepted in Nairobi while allegedly travelling towards Ongata Rongai.
- Investigators have linked the suspects to surveillance, logistics and financing of the alleged operation.
- The two suspects held in Uganda are expected to be escorted back to Kenya for processing and court proceedings.
- Four other suspects in the murder case were recently ordered to undergo mental assessments before taking plea.
Detectives have made fresh arrests in the investigation into the murder of clinical psychologist and mental health researcher Dr Victoria Nthunya Mutiso, with two suspects traced to Kampala and another apprehended in Nairobi.
The latest operation was conducted by a specialised Directorate of Criminal Investigations team working with the Uganda Police Force. The arrests follow forensic analysis that detectives say helped them trace suspects who allegedly moved across the border after the killing.
The two suspects arrested in Uganda have been identified as Police Constable Bett Kiplangat Collins and civilian Pius Muiru Mbugua.
According to the DCI, the pair were found at Kyanja Heights flats in the Nakawa area of Kampala. They are currently being held at Jinja Road Police Station as arrangements are made for their escorted return to Kenya.
PC Bett, service number 118491, is attached to Thogoto Police Station. Investigators allege that he played a surveillance role during the operation and acted as a co-driver to Daniel Mwangi Njoroge, whom detectives have described as a key organiser in the alleged plot.
The DCI says Njoroge was driving a Toyota Land Cruiser Prado, registration KDH 600A, which was allegedly used to block the Uber vehicle carrying Dr Mutiso shortly before she was shot in Upper Hill on July 29.
While the two suspects were being traced in Kampala, detectives also arrested Samuel Karanja Gathoni, who is also known as “Lawyer”.
Gathoni was intercepted in the Langata Multi-Media area as he travelled towards Ongata Rongai. His arrest forms part of the wider effort by investigators to establish the people involved in the planning and execution of the alleged operation.
Detectives are also examining the alleged financial arrangements behind the killing. The DCI has accused Mbugua of acting as an intermediary between the alleged execution team and the person who contracted them, including allegedly moving money for logistics and the movement of the group.
Investigation follows July shooting
Dr Mutiso was fatally shot on July 29, 2026, after the vehicle in which she was travelling was allegedly intercepted in Nairobi’s Upper Hill area.
Earlier investigations indicated that she was shot three times before being taken to Kenyatta National Hospital, where she was pronounced dead. Detectives have previously said the killing was carefully planned and linked the suspected motive to a long-running land dispute involving property in Athi River, Machakos County.
The investigation has already brought several people into custody. Police Constable Elijah Kibelion Kimoi was previously identified by detectives as the alleged gunman, while Inspector Kenneth Kipkemboi Sang was named as an alleged link between financiers and the operational team.
Four suspects, including Rose Mbithe Mulwa, her daughter Angela Mulwa, Chris Mulwa and PC Elijah Kibelion Kimoi, were also recently presented before the High Court over the murder allegations. They have not yet taken plea after the court directed that they undergo mental assessments, with the matter scheduled for September 23.
The DCI said the two suspects held in Uganda will be brought back to Kenya under escort before being processed and presented in court.
The agency has also rejected claims that some suspects were previously arrested and secretly released or that security officials helped them evade investigators. According to the DCI, the Kampala arrests demonstrate that detectives continued pursuing leads even after suspects allegedly crossed the border.
The latest arrests add another layer to a complex investigation as detectives continue searching for other individuals who may have been involved in the alleged planning, financing and execution of Dr Mutiso’s killing.
The case is expected to remain under close scrutiny as investigators work to establish the full chain of events and as the suspects already before court proceed with the next stage of the criminal process.
