Sh300,000 payment, calls to police officer place lawyer at centre of Dr Mutiso murder probe

A Sh300,000 payment and a string of calls to a senior police officer suspected of involvement in Dr Victoria Nthunya Mutiso’s murder have placed city lawyer Angela Mulwa at the centre of a police investigation into the killing.

The fresh details emerged yesterday after the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) filed an application before Milimani magistrate Joan Mati seeking 14 more days to detain advocate Mulwa as detectives complete investigations into her alleged role in the murder of her stepmother.

The DCI alleges that Mulwa, who has been an advocate of the High Court for over 26 years, played a vital role in a plot to kill Dr Mutiso, claiming she attended a meeting where Sh300,000 was allegedly paid as a down payment for the planned killing.

“Preliminary investigations have established that the respondent played a vital role in the brutal murder of Dr Victoria Nthunya Mutiso,” DCI detective Corporal Romana Odour says in an affidavit filed in court.

“She was present on April 24, 2026, during payment of Sh300,000 down payment for the deceased (Dr Mutiso) to be murdered, which failed to materialise,” the affidavit states.

Detectives further allege that Mulwa maintained constant communication with senior police officer Kenneth Sang, whose firearm was allegedly used in the murder.

“She has been in constant communication with Kenneth Sang, a senior police officer whose firearm s/no 47302127, which had been issued to him, was used to commit the offence,” Odour states.

The DCI says ballistic examination has linked a Mini Jericho pistol, serial number 47302127, to two spent cartridges and a bullet fragment recovered from the murder scene.

“Preliminary investigations have established that the said firearm was issued to a senior police officer who is at large,” the investigator states.

The investigators are also probing a land dispute involving Mulwa and her late stepmother, which they believe could provide a possible motive for the killing.

According to the DCI, Mulwa was present during the eviction and demolition of a multi-billion-shilling property, L.R. No. 1504/13, in February this year. The property belonged to Dr Mutiso and is the subject of a dispute pending before the Machakos court in case number MCELC/E111/2025.

The prosecution has further linked Mulwa to separate investigations involving alleged forgery of title deeds, theft of a vehicle belonging to Dr Mutiso and malicious damage to property in Mavoko.

The court heard that a Range Rover Sport valued at Sh15 million, registration number KDU 799Y, allegedly belonging to Dr Mutiso, was among four vehicles stolen during a February 12, 2026 raid and demolition of a property in Mlolongo.

The other vehicles were a Toyota Prado, registration KBT 935T, a Toyota pickup, KAK 225K, and a Toyota Corolla, KAN 506B.

The first two vehicles belonged to the Africa Institute of Mental and Brain Health (AFRIMEB), co-founded by Professor David Musyimi Ndetei and his late wife Dr Mutiso, while the other two belonged to Professor Ndetei personally.

Court papers state that the properties destroyed during the raid were valued at approximately Sh1.5 billion and link the demolition to the circumstances surrounding Dr Mutiso’s death.

Dr Mutiso, formerly director of the African Institute of Mental and Brain Health, was shot dead on July 29 while inside a motor vehicle registration number KDJ 609D in Upper Hill, Nairobi.

Investigators say the crime scene was processed and two spent cartridges and two bullet fragments recovered before being submitted for forensic examination.

The investigators are opposing Mulwa’s release, arguing that she is known to material witnesses, including members of Dr Mutiso’s family and people connected to the land dispute.

They fear that her release could allow her to interfere with witnesses, compromise investigations or collude with suspects who remain at large.

“Continued custody is sought because there are compelling reasons to believe that release of the respondent at this stage may lead to interference with witnesses who are known to the respondent, interference with the pending investigations, and collusion with persons at large, some of whom are senior police officers,” Odour states.

The DCI is seeking 14 days to complete forensic, intelligence and other inquiries before forwarding the investigation file to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) for an independent decision on whether charges should be preferred.

The application came hours after Mavoko Law Courts granted Mulwa and her co-suspect Nelson Masiga Sh1 million bond each in a separate investigation concerning alleged theft of vehicles linked to Dr Mutiso’s property.

Mulwa was, however, re-arrested and transferred to Industrial Area Police Station as detectives pursued the murder investigation.

Her mother, Rose Mbithe Mulwa alias Rose Mbithe Ndetei, and her brother Chris Mulwa are also in custody in connection with investigations into Dr Mutiso’s murder.

Other suspects, including police officers and alleged accomplices, have also been detained as detectives pursue what they describe as an active and intelligence-led investigation.

The DCI says the identities of some suspects have become publicly known and argues that continued detention is also necessary to protect Mulwa from possible retaliation or mob justice.

“The investigations remain active and intelligence-led, with several investigative leads yet to be pursued,” the affidavit states.

Mulwa’s lawyers opposed the fresh application, raising three preliminary issues: jurisdiction, sub judice and alleged abuse of State powers.

The defence argued that the Milimani court should not entertain the application because of proceedings already before the Mavoko Law Courts, which they said were connected to the circumstances surrounding the investigations against Mulwa.

The lawyers also argued that the State was abusing its powers by seeking Mulwa’s continued detention after she had already been granted bond in the separate Mavoko proceedings.

The defence maintained that the court should consider the earlier proceedings and questioned the basis upon which the State had moved the Milimani court for additional detention orders.

The DPP has opposed Mulwa’s objection, urging the Milimani Law Courts to dismiss it and allow detectives to proceed with their application for additional time.

The prosecution argued that the Milimani court has jurisdiction to hear the matter and that the application is not barred by the doctrine of sub judice.

On jurisdiction, the State told the court that it had not approached the Milimani court as an appellate court and that the proceedings before it were distinct from the separate case pending at Mavoko.

The prosecution said Miscellaneous Application E494 of 2026 at Mavoko concerns investigations into alleged forgery of a motor vehicle title and malicious damage to property, while Milimani application E3856 of 2026 concerns investigations into the murder of Dr Mutiso.

“These are two distinct offences and investigations,” the prosecution submitted.

The State further told the court that the two matters were being investigated by different officers and departments of the DCI.

In a brief ruling, Magistrate Mati has declined to disturb the Sh1 million bond granted to city lawyer Mulwa before Mvoko pending her ruling challenging the court's jurisdiction to hear a fresh application seeking her detention over the murder of her stepmother.

The magistrate directed that Mulwa’s existing bond terms remain in force pending determination of the jurisdiction question.

The court said the jurisdiction issue was fundamental and had to be determined before it could consider the DCI’s fresh application.

She scheduled the ruling on the preliminary objection for Monday, August 24, 2026, at 11 am.