Nairobi News

A police officer is among two suspects who have been arrested in connection with the abduction and subsequent murder of a taxi driver.

The two are alleged to have killed Evans Bikundo Moracha, whose body was recovered at River Sagana on October 14, 2023.

They were arrested by Nairobi Region Crime Research detectives following a night-long operation in Nyeri and Kajiado counties on Thursday.

According to the police, the two, Stanley Collins Muthika and Kennedy Murimi Kinyua, were arrested at Ruringu village in Nyeri and Olekasasi – Ongata Rongai in Kajiado North respectively.

His disappearance was reported by his wife Teresa Masesi Kerubo at Mihang’o Police Station on October 14.

She told police that her husband and his car a Toyota Vitz had been missing for three days and that his phone was also offline.

It was on the same day that the Assistant Chief Githuri sub-location in Murang’a County reported to the police that an unknown male body had been found at River Sagana.

The body lay naked and had multiple head injuries.

Police took the body to Murang’a Level Five Hospital Mortuary for autopsy and identification through fingerprinting and analysis at the National Registration Bureau (NRB) offices.

It was later identified as that of Moracha, whose wife had just reported missing, police said.

Later, acting on intelligence, a team of detectives started their pursuit to Ruringu village in Nyeri County on Thursday where Muthike was arrested.

Upon interrogation, the suspect led the detectives to Olekasasi in Ongata Rongai where the second suspect, Kinyua was nabbed.

After running a profile of the second suspect, detectives found him to be a police officer based at Akila Police Station in Lang’ata, but who had been on interdiction after deserting service.

A mobile phone belonging to the deceased was found in the house after a search and a stun torch was also recovered which the suspect confessed to having used to light their way to River Sagana where they disposed his body.

The two suspects were detained separately at Capital Hill and Kilimani Police Stations pending further interrogations.

Meanwhile, forensic intelligence has uncovered a well-choreographed murder plot that calls into question the mere disappearance and sudden death of 47-year-old Moracha.

Detectives have since established that Moracha did not simply disappear, but was abducted from his home by the killer duo in the presence of his wife on the night of October 11.

Days later, the deceased’s car was secretly driven back to Teresa’s (the wife) neighbourhood and safely abandoned a safe distance from her house.

Cybercrime detectives, whose services were sought, linked Teresa to the two suspects after numerous conversations, including negotiations for unspecified payments between the three, were intercepted.

According to police, the communication dated back to before Moracha’s abduction, during and after the recovery of the body.

The police therefore believe that Teresa, whose arrest is imminent, is the mastermind behind her husband’s gruesome murder and that her report about her missing husband may have been an afterthought after she got wind of the recovery of the body in Murang’a.

Investigations are ongoing to establish the motive behind the murder.