NAIROBI, Kenya — Rose Mbithe and her two children are set to face murder charges over the killing of psychiatrist Dr Victoria Nthunya Mutiso after the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) approved the prosecution of the three suspects.
The suspects are expected to be presented before the High Court in Nairobi on Thursday for plea-taking following the conclusion of investigations into Dr Mutiso’s fatal shooting in Nairobi’s Upper Hill area.
The development was disclosed at the Milimani Law Courts on Wednesday when State Counsel Jalson Makori informed Milimani Chief Magistrate Joan Mati that the DPP had closed the investigation file and filed an information before the High Court indicating the intention to prosecute the three suspects for murder.
Makori did not, however, specify when exactly the suspects would take their pleas.
DPP closes investigation file
The decision to charge Mbithe and her two children marks a major shift in the case, which had remained at the pre-charge investigation stage as detectives sought additional time to complete their inquiries.
The suspects had previously been presented before the High Court as investigators sought additional time to hold them while gathering evidence relating to Dr Mutiso’s death.
With the DPP now having approved murder charges, the matter is expected to proceed as a formal criminal prosecution before the High Court.
Suspects deny involvement
Mbithe and Angela have denied any involvement in Dr Mutiso’s killing.
The two have also alleged that their arrest and prosecution are part of a wider persecution by powerful individuals in government.
When they appeared in court previously, they claimed that a valuable parcel of land was at the centre of what they described as the alleged persecution.
Mbithe also told journalists that she had been married to a professor from the time he was a second-year medical student and that they had lived together for about 25 years before their relationship ended.
She further claimed that Dr Mutiso had worked as a cleaner at their office and suggested that the deceased was unaware of an alleged romantic relationship that investigators are probing.
The allegations form part of the defence narrative surrounding the circumstances that led to the suspects’ arrest.
Investigation into Upper Hill shooting
Dr Mutiso was fatally shot in Nairobi’s Upper Hill area, prompting a police investigation into the circumstances surrounding her death.
Detectives subsequently sought court authority to continue holding the suspects as they pursued evidence they said could link them to the killing.
The prosecution has now moved to formalise the case after the DPP reviewed the investigation file and approved murder charges against the trio.
The decision means the prosecution will now be required to present its evidence before the High Court, while the accused persons will have an opportunity to respond to the charges and defend themselves through the court process.
Suspects expected in High Court
The three suspects are expected to appear before the High Court on Thursday, where they are set to be formally charged.
Details of the specific allegations against each accused person are expected to emerge during the plea proceedings.
