Murang'a court frees former Mwea MP, faults police over prolonged detention

                                        Supporters of former Mwea MP Peter Gitau outside Murang'a law courts on January 19, 2026 /ALICE WAITHERA

A Murang’a court on Monday released former Mwea MP Peter Njuguna Gitau after dismissing a police application seeking to detain him and four other suspects for an additional 21 days to complete investigations into an alleged motor vehicle theft.

Senior resident magistrate Eric Analo granted Gitau a Sh500,000 cash bail or an alternative bond of Sh1 million with a similar surety. The four co-suspects were released on the same terms. The magistrate ruled that continued detention without formal charges would amount to a violation of the suspects’ constitutional rights.

The prosecution had argued that more time was required to conclude investigations into the theft of a motor vehicle reported stolen in Murang’a county on November 4 last year. However, the court was informed that none of the suspects had been formally charged.

Gitau’s lawyers, led by Robert Ndumbi, opposed the application, saying that their client was arrested on the night of January 14 but was arraigned in court several days later, well beyond the constitutionally required 24-hour period. They said Gitau was first taken to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations headquarters in Nairobi before being transferred to Murang’a police station.

In his ruling, magistrate Analo said that the matter before the court was merely a miscellaneous application for extended detention and not a substantive criminal case. He directed police to conclude investigations and only prefer charges once ready.

Former Mwea MP Peter Gitau outside Murang'a law courts on January 19, 2026 / ALICE WAITHERA

The magistrate directed police to proceed with and conclude investigations and to prefer charges only once they were ready. The four other suspects were similarly released on a Sh500,000 cash bail or a bond of Sh1 million each.

The court said that the matter before it was merely a miscellaneous application seeking extended detention and not a substantive criminal case.

Outside court, lawyer John Kanga said the defence would file a suit at the High Court against police officers, accusing them of breaking into Njuguna’s home, conducting the arrest in an inhumane manner and unlawfully detaining him for several days.

Another advocate, John Njogu, said the prosecution had failed to justify why the suspects should be held indefinitely under the guise of investigations, reiterating that no charges had been brought against them.

Lead defence counsel Robert Ndumbi questioned the circumstances under which the former MP had been linked to the case, terming the matter disturbing. He said the alleged vehicle theft occurred in early November last year, yet detectives arrested Njuguna at his residence at odd hours months later, despite him being a well-known public figure.

“The mystery is why he is being associated with a case involving a vehicle allegedly stolen months earlier, and yet no charges have been brought,” Ndumbi said, adding that the defence would wait to see whether investigations would result in any charges.

Gitau was first elected Mwea MP in 2007 on a PNU ticket and was reelected in 2013 under the TNA party.