All five suspects in the murder of clinical psychologist Dr Victoria Mutiso have been directed to physically appear in court on Tuesday next week for plea-taking.
The order follows a refusal by two of the suspects to participate in virtual court proceedings from their remand stations.
The directions were issued by Justice Alexander Muteti, who had convened the virtual session following directions from presiding Judge Kanyi Kimondo, who had placed the matter before the court.
The suspects include Rose Mbithe Mulwa, her two children, Chris Mulwa and Angela Mulwa and Police Constable Elijah Kibelion Kimoi.
The court heard that Rose and Angela declined to attend the virtual session. The two have been detained at the Lang'ata Women's Prison.
Dr Mutiso was shot dead on July 29, 2026, along Mai Mahiu Road in Nairobi's Kilimani area. She was ambushed by armed assailants while travelling in a taxi to her workplace.
Although the court had previously issued directions for the suspects to attend court electronically, defence counsel Danstan Omari challenged the practicality of the arrangement, arguing that physical presence was essential for proper legal representation.
“We are simply requesting that if they can come physically, we are able to take instructions, whether they will plead guilty, whether they go for plea bargaining,” Omari said.
Justice Muteti ordered that all the five suspects be physically brought before the court at noon on September 29, when formal applications regarding consolidation will be heard.
The judge said legal protocol requires compliance before seeking variation. “The best thing is to seek a revision of that order but the first thing is comply and then you seek to revise the order on September 29,” the judge ruled.
Mutiso's murder has drawn public scrutiny owing to an alleged underlying motive connected to a bitter, high-stakes property conflict.
Detectives are investigating a long-standing land feud involving Rose and Dr Mutiso’s husband, Professor David Musyimi Ndetei.
Rose is the former wife of Ndetei and the contested estate involves a 20-acre parcel of land in Mlolongo, Machakos county, valued at approximately Sh1.5 billion.
The ownership dispute dates back to 2002, with the Directorate of Criminal Investigations alleging that the conflict escalated into the forcible eviction and demolition of properties belonging to Mutiso’s family prior to her killing.
All the suspects were previously ordered to undergo psychiatric tests at Mbagathi Hospital and Lang’ata Women’s Prison to establish their fitness to stand trial. The court now awaits their physical production on Tuesday for plea-taking and further directions.
