The number of people facing charges over the murder of clinical psychiatrist Dr Victoria Nthunya Mutiso has risen to 10, after the Director of Public Prosecutions approved a fresh murder charge against a fifth suspect and detectives arrested a tenth person linked to the case this week.
The DPP approved a murder charge against Kimutai Maritim on Wednesday, September 23, 2026, bringing to five the number of suspects set to face murder charges directly before the High Court. Maritim will be charged alongside Rose Mbithe Mulwa, her daughter Angela Mulwa, her son Chris Mulwa, and Police Constable Elijah Kibelion Kimoi, with all five expected to appear for plea-taking on September 29, 2026, before Justice Alexander Muteti.
Maritim was arrested on August 22 after he allegedly attempted to visit suspects detained at Pangani Police Station and was reportedly intercepted while attempting to deliver a loaf of bread and a packet of milk to them. Investigators told the court he was allegedly linked to planning the offence and could assist in tracing other suspects who were still at large at the time.
Separately, a tenth suspect, Maritim Kimutai, alias Kim, was arrested and physically presented before the Milimani High Court this week and returned to prison until September 29, when he will be jointly charged alongside the others.
The full list of those now in custody in connection with the case includes Rose Mbithe Mulwa, her children Chris and Angela Mulwa, both advocates, police constables Elijah Kimoi and Collins Kiplagat Bett, Pius Muiru Mbugua, alias Head Boy, Samuel Karanja Gathoni, alias Wakili, law student Daniel Mwangi Njoroge, Kelvin Ngugi Kinuthia and Kimutai.
Three of those suspects, Constable Collins Bett Kiplagat, Pius Muiru Mbugua and Samuel Karanja Gathoni, were arrested on August 29 at Kyanja Heights Flats in Nakawa, Kampala, after fleeing to Uganda following Dr Mutiso’s murder, before being returned to Kenya.
The DPP said the trio will return to court on October 1, 2026, having been detained for 30 days to allow investigations against them to be completed. Prosecutor Murage had earlier told the court the case was complex and involved accomplices, some still on the run, warning that releasing the three would expose them to retaliation given the intense public interest in the matter.
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When the case came up virtually on September 23 for plea-taking, Rose Mbithe and her daughter Angela declined to plead to the murder charge virtually, with a prison officer informing the court of their position. Justice Muteti subsequently deferred plea-taking for all suspects to September 29 at noon, ordering that they be produced physically in court rather than appearing virtually.
Lead investigator Corporal Romana Oduor is currently compiling committal bundles for all suspects arrested in connection with the case to enable the DPP to formally commence trial proceedings. The prosecution team is being led by counsels Jalson Makori and Pauline Muthuri.
Dr Mutiso, a clinical psychiatrist, was shot dead on the morning of July 29, 2026, along Mawenzi Road in Nairobi’s Upper Hill area. Preliminary investigations indicate she may have been followed from her home before the attack.
Investigators have said the case centres on a long-running family property dispute involving Rose Mbithe and her children, and are separately probing an alleged romantic relationship as part of the wider circumstances surrounding her death.
On August 27, Justice Kanyi Kimondo had earlier directed that all those linked to the case undergo mental assessment at Mbagathi Hospital, or any other facility offering the service within Nairobi, to determine their fitness to stand trial. The process pushed plea-taking back from its original date to September 23, and now further to September 29.
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