NAIROBI, Kenya — Detectives investigating the fatal shooting of psychologist and researcher Dr Victoria Nthunya Mutiso have uncovered a new lead involving a Toyota Prado believed to have been used to intercept the taxi she was boarding moments before gunmen opened fire in Nairobi’s Upper Hill.
According to investigators, the Prado allegedly blocked the taxi before attackers riding on a motorcycle shot Dr Mutiso three times in what police suspect was a carefully coordinated attack.
The vehicle has since become a central focus of the investigation after detectives linked it to a Toyota Prado reportedly stolen during the demolition of Dr Mutiso’s property in Mlolongo, Machakos County, in February this year.
During the operation, buildings were demolished, and several vehicles were reportedly stolen, including the Toyota Prado now being examined in connection with the killing.
Investigators have further established that one of the murder suspects allegedly presented the same demolition notice at Mlolongo Police Station for enforcement. Following the demolition, Dr Mutiso lodged a complaint at the station seeking investigations into the legality of the exercise.
That complaint remains under investigation, with detectives now examining whether the land dispute and subsequent events may have culminated in her killing.
According to Citizen TV, investigators from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) believe Dr Mutiso’s troubles escalated after she formally reported the demolition-related dispute to police, prompting investigators to explore whether she was targeted because of the complaint.
The investigation has also revealed that on July 7, Dr Mutiso reported to Kilimani Police Station that three men riding on a motorcycle had threatened her life.
Three weeks later, on July 29, she was shot dead while heading to work in Upper Hill. Detectives are now investigating whether the men who allegedly threatened her and those involved in the fatal shooting are connected.
Meanwhile, Chief Government Pathologist Dr Johansen Oduor confirmed that the psychologist died from severe bleeding after sustaining three gunshot wounds—two to the head and one through the upper back—which caused fatal head and chest injuries.
The investigation remains active, with detectives pursuing multiple leads after two suspects, a mother and her son, were arraigned in court as investigators sought additional time to complete inquiries into the murder.
