Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has levelled serious allegations against Interior Cabinet Secretary (CS) Kipchumba Murkomen, claiming he intervened to secure the release of police officers suspected of involvement in the murder of Dr Victoria Mutiso.
Speaking during a Thanksgiving Church service in Kiambaa, Kiambu County on Sunday, August 9, Gachagua alleged that Murkomen personally protected the officers from arrest and directed that they should not be taken to investigators for questioning over the killing.
Gachagua claimed that two officers who had been traced and arrested in separate parts of the country were subsequently released following telephone calls allegedly made by Murkomen.
“On Thursday, one officer was caught there in Thogoto. After CS Murkomen heard that news, he called and was released. The other one was caught on the way to Mombasa. CS Mukomen called once again and was released,” Gachagua stated.
He alleged that the officers were released despite having been identified as persons of interest in investigations into the death of the doctor.
Gachagua further claimed that investigators were planning to pin the killing on two young men whom he described as innocent. He said the information had been relayed to him by individuals within the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) and the National Intelligence Service (NIS).
“Now, yesterday, they wanted to blame two young men. One from a boda-boda and the other from a car. Police Officers from DCI and the NIS looked for me and informed me of what they want to do, by falsely accusing innocent men of things they are not liable for,” stated Gachagua.
The former Deputy President also accused Murkomen of shielding a senior police officer whom he claimed was connected to a broader network of alleged contract killings involving officers attached to Kikuyu Police Station.
He alleged that some officers at the station had been available for hire by individuals seeking to eliminate business rivals or settle domestic disputes. Gachagua, however, did not provide evidence to support the claims.
Dr Mutiso, a clinical psychologist and mental health researcher, was shot dead in Nairobi on July 29 in what investigators have described as a targeted attack.
Detectives have linked the killing to a longstanding family dispute surrounding a 20-acre parcel of land in Mlolongo, Machakos County, reportedly worth Ksh1.5 billion.
Investigators have further alleged that suspected hitmen were offered a total of Ksh1.5 million to execute the killing, with each officer reportedly promised Ksh500,000.
Gachagua has since called for the disbandment of the police station he alleges is connected to the killings. He also challenged the Inspector General of Police to explain why the officers were released and provide an update on the progress of the investigation.
The allegations came a day after the DCI made its own claims against Gachagua, alleging that the former Deputy President had been in communication with two individuals implicated in Dr Mutiso's murder, including one of the key suspects in the case.
