The Nakuru Court has authorized the prosecution to detain a senior military officer for five days in connection with the alleged killing of a 74-year-old civilian at a police canteen.
Jackson Okeyo, an officer from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations in Bahati, submitted an affidavit requesting a 14-day extension to hold Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) Sergeant John Kimani Muturi in order to complete the investigation.
Muturi is accused of assaulting Moris Gachanja on December 25 while they were consuming drinks at the Githioro Police Station canteen.
Okeyo indicated that a postmortem examination has yet to be performed and that witness statements are still pending.
He emphasized the necessity of conducting a forensic analysis of Muturi’s mobile devices to extract geographical and call data.
The officer expressed concerns that Muturi poses a flight risk due to his access to resources and potential connections that could aid in his escape.
Okeyo asserted that the requested 14 days would facilitate a postmortem examination of the deceased to ascertain the exact cause of death.
Furthermore, this period would allow for the collection and documentation of statements from key eyewitnesses, including the suspect’s girlfriend and other patrons of the Githioro Police Canteen, whose testimonies are crucial for reconstructing the events.
He also mentioned that this time would permit the verification of Muturi’s service record and the gathering of pertinent information regarding his mental health or any history of violent behavior, which could be significant for the prosecution’s case.
Okeyo informed the court that, considering Muturi’s military background, his release could result in the interference and intimidation of witnesses, many of whom are his relatives.
In response, Muturi’s attorney, Harry Gakinya, contested the application, asserting that a postmortem had already been conducted on the deceased and that witness statements had been collected.
Gakinya contended that the investigating officer ought to have obtained pertinent information from the military police who were stationed at the Githioro Police Station on the day the incident occurred.
Senior Resident Magistrate Vincent Adet permitted the prosecution a period of five days, observing that certain elements of Muturi’s purported involvement remained ambiguous.
Adet directed that Muturi be transported to the hospital and instructed the officer in charge of the Githioro Police Station to document his complaint.
The case is scheduled for mention on January 3.
