Daniel Muthiani: Police Arrest Kawira Mwangaza's Son, Brother In Probe Into Slain Blogger

• The investigating officer requested more time to detain the five suspects, stating that more suspects were yet to be arrested
• DCI stated that the time since the suspects’ arrest was not enough to conclude investigations, hence the need for further detention
• The five suspects, including Kenneth Mutua Gatiri and Fredrick Muruiki Kiugi, were arrested in Meru town and booked at different police stations

Didacus Malowa, a journalist at TUKO.co.ke, brings over three years of experience covering politics and current affairs in Kenya.

Meru - The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) has sought orders to detain suspects in the murder of blogger Daniel Muthiani alias Sniper.

In documents submitted in the chief magistrate court Kiambu, the investigating officer sought more time to detain the five suspects.

This, he said, would enable them to conclude investigations, revealing that more suspects are yet to be arrested.

"The investigating team requires ample time to have them interrogated on the same matter. The investigating team has vital information that more other persons who were involved in the commission of the offence are yet to be arrested.

The respondents have to undergo formal police procedures which include but are not limited to recording statements, interrogations, and subjecting them to mental assessment, among other actions," read the court papers seen by TUKO.co.ke.

The five suspects include; Kenneth Mutua Gatiri alias Gasigi, Fredrick Muruiki Kiugi alias Pope, Frankline Kimathi alias Dudu Ras, Timothy Kinoti alias Timo and Murangiri Kenneth Guantai alias Tali.

Kinoti is Governor Kawira Mwangaza's son, while Murangiri is her brother.

How long does DCI want to detain suspects?

According to the DCI, the time since the arrest of the five suspects to the arraignment in court was insufficient, hence the need to detain them further.

"The time the Respondents were arrested, the time to conclude investigations has not been adequate and the Applicant requires twenty one (21) days to enable conclusion of investigations while the Respondents are in police custody," read the affidavit in court.

The police said the five were arrested in Meru town within Meru county by detectives on Thursday, January 4 and booked at different Police Stations in Nairobi and Kiambu.

How Daniel Muthiani went missing

As reported earlier, Sniper's wife, Irene Kawira, said the political activist and blogger left their Kabuiti home on December 2 at 8:30 pm after he received a call from an acquaintance suggesting a meeting with him at an address he did not disclose.

Kawira said she did not call him that night until the following day. However, her efforts to reach him were thwarted as his phone was switched off.

His brother revealed that the officers did not provide any updates on the progress of the search, leading them to approach the county police commander, Cunningham Suiyanka, for assistance.