Slain Psychiatrist Dr Victoria Mutiso
A court ordered the detention of advocate Angela Mulwa and her co-accused, Nelson Masiga, until Tuesday at 2 pm as investigations into the killing of prominent psychiatrist Dr Victoria Mutiso continue.
The ruling comes after an application by the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) seeking to detain the two suspects for 21 days.
So far, four suspects have been arrested over Dr Mutiso's killing. The other two are Chris Mulwa and his mother, Rose Mbithe Mulwa, who were on Monday detained for 21 days after the court granted DCI the request to complete their investigations on Chris and Rose.
The prosecution told the Mavoko Law Courts that detectives require additional time to complete investigations into several motor vehicles believed to be linked to the killing of Dr Mutiso, who was fatally shot in Nairobi last week.
State counsel said the probe involves tracing the ownership and movement of the vehicles and establishing their possible connection to the killing.
The DCI argued that the suspects should remain in custody for 21 days to enable investigators to conclude the inquiry without interference.
According to the prosecution, the investigations stem from a report made at Mlolongo Police Station on May 4, 2026, after Dr Mutiso reported that several of her properties had been stolen while others were destroyed during an eviction carried out on February 12, 2026.
Investigators told the court that one of the vehicles reported stolen was later recovered at premises allegedly occupied by Mulwa and Masiga.
Police further stated that several other vehicles allegedly taken during the eviction remain unaccounted for.
The DCI also told the court that detectives are seeking to establish the relationship between Mulwa, Masiga, and Rose Mbithe, who is separately under investigation over the alleged destruction of property.
Prosecutors argued that the complexity of the case and the seriousness of the allegations justified the request for a 21-day custodial order.
The application was vigorously opposed by defence counsel Cliff Ombeta, who argued that the dispute arose from a land matter in which lawful eviction orders had been issued by a competent court and executed under police supervision.
Ombeta told the court that the property where the eviction took place belonged to Rose Mbithe and not to either the deceased or the complainant, Prof David Ndetei.
He further submitted that investigators had already seized the respondents' mobile phones and could obtain any additional information through court orders, making continued detention unnecessary.
He also pointed out that the respondents were arrested on August 1, nearly six months after the eviction, arguing that there was no justification for detaining them to facilitate investigations.
Ombeta added that Mulwa has practised as an advocate of the High Court of Kenya for 26 years.
Defence lawyer Danstan Omari described the application as an abuse of the court process, arguing that related proceedings arising from the same dispute are already pending before the Milimani Law Courts. He urged the court to decline jurisdiction and refer the matter to the Milimani court.
Omari also submitted that Mulwa is the daughter of the complainant, Prof. Ndetei, and argued that her possession of one of the disputed vehicles should not, by itself, be construed as evidence of criminal conduct. He urged the court to release both respondents on bond.
In response, the prosecution maintained that a family relationship does not confer a legal right to retain property reported as missing. State counsel urged the court to balance the constitutional rights of the suspects with those of the victims, insisting that the vehicles allegedly disappeared during the eviction and that investigations remain active.
Principal Magistrate Lilian Nyabando directed that Mulwa and Masiga remain in police custody until 2 p.m. on August 4, 2026, when the court will rule on the DCI's application seeking a 21-day detention order to facilitate ongoing investigations.
The detention proceedings come as detectives intensify investigations into the fatal shooting of Dr. Mutiso.
