NAIVASHA, Kenya — A Naivasha court has ordered the arrest and extradition of a Kenyan couple residing in the United States to face charges of allegedly conspiring to murder five members of their family in a dispute over a valuable parcel of land in Molo.
Chief Magistrate Abdulqadir Ramathan issued warrants of arrest against Amos Wanjiru and his wife, Alice Muya, after finding that the pair had repeatedly failed to appear before the court despite summonses issued over nearly two years.
The couple is jointly charged with Alice’s 73-year-old father, Francis Muya, who is already before the court facing five counts of conspiracy to commit murder.
According to the prosecution, the accused allegedly conspired to kill Francis Muya’s estranged wife, Rose Njeri Muya, and four of their children — Antony Mwaura, Martin Muya, Alex Muya, and Oprah Muya.
In his ruling, Magistrate Ramathan described the allegations as serious and noted that the court had exercised considerable patience while awaiting the couple’s appearance.
“The court gave the couple every opportunity to present themselves, but they failed, and I agree with the prosecution that this court should take decisive action and issue a warrant of arrest,” the magistrate ruled.
The court also authorized the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) to initiate engagements with United States authorities to facilitate the extradition process.
An application by the defence seeking a 45-day suspension of the arrest warrants was dismissed. The court advised the defence to pursue any further legal remedies before the High Court.
Prosecutors argued that repeated assurances by defence counsel that the two suspects would appear in court had not materialized, resulting in significant delays in the proceedings.
The case has so far proceeded only against Francis Muya, with the court unable to make substantial progress while awaiting the attendance of the other accused persons.
Court documents indicate that the alleged conspiracy was orchestrated between March and May 2024. Investigators claim that Francis Muya and his daughter met two suspected hitmen at a hotel in Nakuru, where they allegedly agreed on a payment of Sh3.1 million to carry out the killings.
The prosecution further alleges that money intended to finance the plot was mobilised and channelled through Francis Muya and Alice Muya.
Investigators believe the alleged motive was to eliminate family members and gain control of a prime parcel of land located in Molo town, Nakuru County.
The case is scheduled for mention on July 28, when the court is expected to receive an update on efforts to secure the attendance of the two suspects from the United States.
The accused persons remain innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
