The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) has arrested three additional suspects in connection with the murder of prominent clinical psychologist Dr Victoria Nthunya Mutiso, in a breakthrough in an investigation spanning Nairobi and Kampala in Uganda.
Two suspects, including a serving police officer, were arrested in Kampala after detectives traced them to Kyanja Heights flats in the Nakawa suburb.
The third suspect was intercepted in Nairobi as he headed towards Ongata Rongai, with detectives widening their probe into the planning, financing and execution of the July 29, 2026, killing.
The specialised team investigating the murder comprises detectives from the DCI Headquarters' Crime Research and Intelligence Bureau (CRIB), Operations Directorate and Homicide Bureau.
The suspects arrested in Uganda were identified as Police Constable (PC) Bett Kiplangat Collins, attached to Thogoto Police Station, and civilian Pius Muiru Mbugua.
The DCI said the two allegedly fled to Uganda after the murder and were located through forensic analysis.
"Acting on forensic analysis, the team proceeded to Kyanja Heights flats in the Nakawa suburb of Kampala. With the assistance of the Uganda Police Force, they arrested two suspects who had illegally sneaked into Uganda after the murder," the agency stated.
The suspects are being held at Jinja Road Police Station in Kampala pending an escorted return to Kenya.
The National Police Service (NPS) acknowledged the assistance of the Uganda Police Force, saying its cooperation enabled detectives to conduct the operation and secure the suspects.
Meanwhile, detectives in Nairobi intercepted Samuel Karanja Gathoni, also known as "Lawyer", within the Langata Multi-Media area as he travelled towards Ongata Rongai.
Investigators have now placed PC Bett at the centre of the alleged surveillance operation preceding Dr Mutiso's killing.
According to the DCI, the police officer was allegedly tasked with monitoring the target and served as co-driver to Daniel Mwangi Njoroge, whom detectives have identified as a central organiser of the operation.
Njoroge was allegedly driving a Land Cruiser Prado, which detectives say was used to box in the Uber vehicle carrying Dr Mutiso in Upper Hill, Nairobi, moments before she was fatally shot.
Detectives have also accused Mbugua of playing a key role in the alleged financial arrangements behind the operation. According to investigators, he acted as a link between the alleged execution team and the person who allegedly contracted them.
The DCI said Mbugua served as a paymaster, moving money to facilitate logistics and the movement of the suspected hit team.
The three suspects are expected to be processed and arraigned in Kenya once the two arrested in Uganda are escorted back into the country. "Flight delayed the file. It did not close it," the DCI stated.
The agency also hit back at claims that suspects had previously been arrested and quietly released, or that security officials had facilitated their escape.
The DCI accused some political actors of spreading what it described as "reckless, inflammatory and unsubstantiated claims" for political mileage.
"Those assertions were false. They were calculated to smear the investigation, shake public trust and cast detectives as accomplices rather than pursuers. Yesterday’s arrests, effected in Kampala, are the factual answer to that noise," the agency stated.
Dr Mutiso was killed on July 29 after the taxi vehicle she was travelling in was allegedly ambushed by armed attackers in Upper Hill. A gunman opened fire, fatally wounding her before she was taken to hospital.
The investigation has previously linked the killing to a long-running land dispute, with detectives alleging that relatives of her husband contracted hitmen to carry out the attack.
The latest arrests bring the number of police officers apprehended in connection with the murder to two, after another officer, identified as the alleged primary suspect who fired the fatal shots, was arrested and arraigned in court.
The DCI said investigations remain ongoing and urged members of the public with relevant information to report to the nearest police station or anonymously through #FichuaKwaDCI on 0800 722 203 or WhatsApp 0709 570 000.
