Police on the spot as city goons yet to be arrested 10 days later
Questions abound on the whereabouts of the men captured on camera assaulting a businessman in Nairobi 10 days ago, even as four suspects including an MP were charged over the incident.
None of the five men on the posters released by the Directorate of Criminal Investigations with Sh2.5 million bounty on their heads has been arrested.
In the poster, police did not identify by name the people they are requesting public assistance in arresting as concerns mount that the official handling of the matter betrays an attempt at a cover-up.
On Tuesday, East Africa Legislative Assembly member Simon Mbugua and three people were arrested in connection to the assault.
He together with two others were charged at Milimani law courts with robbery with violence. They denied the charges and were each released on Sh200,000 by Senior Principal Magistrate Martha Mutuku.
INVOLVED IN ATTACK
Although those arrested were not captured by cameras at the assault scene, police said they had every reason to believe that three of them — Mr Mbugua, Mr Anthony Otieno Ombok Alias Jamal and Mr Benjamin Odhiambo Onyango Alias Odhis — were involved in the attack.
The charge sheet produced by the police states: “On the 30th day of April, 2018, at 11am at Hotel Boulevard in Nairobi, jointly with others not before court, robbed Timothy Muceru Muriuki of Sh100,000 and injured him.”
But lawyers interviewed by Nation said police would have a hard time securing a conviction for those arrested as they could not be placed at the scene of the incident.
“If he was not at the scene, then he would at best be an accomplice or accessory to the charge of robbery, and the charge sheet should indicate that he is charged as an accessory to the crime committed by the persons at the scene,” a lawyer said.
The fourth man, Mr Stephen Sangira, was not charged, as police said they found no evidence linking him to the incident. They had, however, applied to have him detained for seven more days in order to complete investigations.
Magistrate Miriam Mugure ordered that Mr Sangira be released on a cash bail of Sh100,000. She said the police were not clear on what they wanted to charge him with. Mr Sangira was asked to present himself in court on Monday.
PHONE SIGNALS
Nairobi County Criminal Investigations Officer Ireri Kamwende, however, said signals from phones owned by those charged showed they were at the hotel when the attack happened.
Mr Kamwende said the search for the five suspects captured on camera assaulting Mr Muriuki, a former chairman of the Nairobi Central Business District Association, was in progress.
The prosecution says it has lined up eight witnesses in the case following public outcry over the attack in full glare of media cameras.
Intelligence sources said contacts of three of the five goons who beat Mr Muriuki have been established.
The goon in the orange T shirt, who is captured beating Mr Muriuki outside the hotel and eventually removes his coat, is known as Brian Owino aka “Brayo.”
His phone number has been tracked to Usenge, Siaya County, and it’s believed he took off to his rural home the moment police placed a Sh0.5 million bounty on him. Police believe he carries an illegal gun.
Mike Mbanya, who in the video is dressed in a navy blue cap is believed to be a resident of California Estate in Kamukunji.
Records obtained by police show he was once a vegetable vendor within Eastleigh but decided to focus in politics after he joined the camp of a former MP. Police have further found that within CBD, he is a common figure on Harambee Avenue.
PICTURED WITH SONKO
The bearded man in a creamy hood and faded sky blue jeans, who is captured carrying Mr Muriuki and threatening to throw him in the swimming pool, is known as Hussein Suleiman aka Manyange.
He is the man pictured with Governor Mike Sonko in a wedding in an unidentified place. He is also believed to be a resident of California estate in Eastleigh. The other two remain unidentified.
Kenyans have questioned why it has taken more than a week for the police to arrest the perpetrators.
But Mr Sonko on Tuesday distanced himself from Mr Muriuki’s attackers, saying the claims that he has links with them are just hearsay.
“I accept I was with them at a wedding as shown in the photo, but that was way back before they attacked the businessman, and I cannot be associated with them just because we were at the same event,” he said.