Last Tuesday, three men suspected of being involved in the murder of a Jomo Kenyatta University of Science and Technology (JKUAT) student were detained for 14 days to allow the police to conclude their investigations.
This comes after the Investigating Officer, Peter Kaibiru, filed a series of applications to apprehend the suspects to ensure that all the conditions were met before a formal trial.
On Tuesday morning, Joseph Muchiri, 22, Kefa Mwaniki, and Paul Mbatha, 20, are being arrested for allegedly stabbing Joel Juma, a fourth-year industrial chemistry student, in Juja town.
“I firmly believe that all three are responsible for the murder of the student and I request the court to allow me to keep them for 14 days to complete the investigation,” Kaibiru said.
Thika’s Senior Resident Magistrate Oscar Wanyaga on Thursday allowed the plea and ordered that the suspects be kept in court until May 5.
“I have allowed your request to hold them, but make sure by May 5 that they are either charged or released. If by tomorrow you don’t get any evidence, there is no justification for keeping them in custody,” Wanyaga said.
The trio is suspected of stabbing Zuma at 2 a.m. on Tuesday, when he and his fiancé were on their way to obtain test preparation materials from a colleague living in a neighboring apartment.
He is said to have attacked the dead with knives, physically beat them, and then stabbed them twice in the chest before snatching their phones and other belongings.
The lady girlfriend, on the other hand, narrowly escaped as she did not have any valuables at the time of the incident.
According to Juja DCI Richard Mwaura, the suspects were apprehended after a rigorous forensic study of the site by crime scene experts stationed at the DCI National Forensic Laboratory, allowing investigators to identify the suspects.
He said one suspect was caught from his hideout in Kiandutu, Thika town, and the other was caught in Juja’s Gachororo while he was attempting to escape from a police dragon.
Mwaniki was nabbed from Kiandutu Estate in Thika on Wednesday evening.
