Detectives have intensified investigations into the killing of psychologist and mental health researcher Dr Victoria Mutiso, with the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) now linking serving police officers to what investigators believe was a carefully planned murder tied to a long-running land dispute.
Speaking during a press briefing at Magereza House on Friday, DCI Director Mohamed Amin said detectives are pursuing a police inspector attached to Nderi Police Post under Kikuyu Police Station, whom investigators believe played a key role in planning the killing.
According to Amin, the officer acted as the link between the people suspected of financing the murder and the team that carried out the shooting.
The inspector is also believed to have been in possession of the firearm used in the attack.
Ballistic tests conducted by forensic experts established that a Jericho pistol recovered from Nderi Police Post was the weapon used to kill Dr Mutiso. Investigators said the pistol had officially been issued to the inspector, who is now being sought by detectives.
“Our investigations have established that the killing of Dr Mutiso was motivated by a long-standing land dispute,” Amin said, adding that detectives are still pursuing other suspects believed to have financed and coordinated the murder.
The DCI has already arrested two suspects, including a police constable attached to Karinde Police Post under Kikuyu Police Station.
Investigators believe the officer was the gunman who shot Dr Mutiso during the July 29 attack in Nairobi’s Upper Hill area.
According to the DCI, forensic evidence placed the officer at the scene, strengthening the case against him.
Detectives recovered two spent cartridges at the scene, while a bullet head was removed from Dr Mutiso’s body during a postmortem examination. The forensic analysis linked the recovered bullets to the Jericho pistol allegedly issued to the wanted police inspector.
The investigation has also uncovered what detectives describe as a well-organised operation involving multiple suspects and vehicles.
Amin said investigators relied on forensic evidence, CCTV footage and intelligence from various security agencies to piece together the sequence of events that led to the fatal shooting.
Detectives established that two Toyota Land Cruiser Prado vehicles were used during the operation.
One vehicle allegedly blocked the taxi carrying Dr Mutiso, while the second transported the team that carried out the attack before they fled the scene.
The owners of the two vehicles told investigators they had hired them out to the main suspect before they were returned on July 30.
Tracking data later placed both vehicles at the crime scene at the time of the shooting, further strengthening the investigation.
Police have also arrested a motorcycle rider suspected of ferrying the gunman to and from the scene after the attack.
Amin described the involvement of serving police officers in the case as a serious breach of public trust.
“Our investigations led us to serving police officers who unfortunately played very critical roles in this conspiracy. A police inspector has been positively identified as the link between the financiers and the operational team, as well as the source of the murder weapon,” he said.
He vowed that detectives would pursue everyone involved, regardless of their position, until the case is fully resolved.
The latest developments come a week after Chief Government Pathologist Johansen Oduor confirmed that Dr Mutiso died from excessive bleeding after sustaining three gunshot wounds during the attack.
The postmortem found that she had been shot twice in the head and once in the upper back, causing severe injuries to the chest and head that proved fatal.
As detectives continue to hunt for the missing police inspector and other suspects, the case is expected to remain under close public scrutiny, particularly following allegations that serving officers may have played a central role in the murder.
