Court detains Nyeri man accused of hiring attackers to kill his son

A Nyeri magistrate court has ordered that, Stephen Wangondu Kinini, who was accused of hiring attackers to kill his 32-year-old son in Nyeri, should remain in police custody for five more days as investigations into the matter continue. 

On Friday, Wangondu and five other suspects; Geoffrey Waturi, Eddy Kariuki Ngari, Charity Muchiri, James Mahinda Mwangi and Raphael Wachira were arraigned before Nyeri Principal Magistrate Mathias Okuche. 

The prosecution asked for more time to detain them, pending the conclusion of the investigations. 

Raphael Wachira was arrested on Thursday in Nairobi’s pipeline area after being on the run since the incident occurred. 

The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) said that Stephen Wangondu Kinini paid the attackers Ksh.160,000 to kill his 32-year-old son Daniel Mwangi Wang’ondu, who was a businessman at Mweiga town in Nyeri. 

Mwangi's body was found in a pool of blood at the gate to his house in Wendiga village in the wee hours of Jan 1, 2021.

Investigators said that at the time of the murder, the motive behind it was unclear as nothing had been stolen from Mwangi or his house, adding that his car was still at the crime scene.

James Mahinda Mwangi, who is the deceased’s father's driver and the first suspect was arrested on Saturday, February 20, 2021 in Nairobi’s Githurai area. 

After he was interrogated, James led officers to Matakani area in Embu where two other suspects, Geoffrey Waturi and Eddy Kariuki Ngari, were also arrested. The three were taken to the RCIO’s offices in Nyeri.

According to the findings from further investigations, the trio are long-time friends who had been paid Ksh.160,000 by the deceased’s father, Stephen Wang’ondu Kinini, in December 2020 to kill his son over a family feud.

Wang’ondu had given his driver, James, a facilitation fee of Ksh.20,000 instructing him to form a team that would commit the murder, the detectives said. 

James took up his task and briefed his accomplices on their target, his residence, movements and car after picking them from Embu on December 31.

They bought the murder weapon at a local hardware store on reaching Mweiga then they used it to kill Daniel Mwangi Wang’ondu in the wee hours of the night. 

Charity Muchiri was the fourth suspected arrested in connection with the wicked plan.