Suspects linked to Pius Muiru mother's death locked up

Mr Ezekiel Saitambua and Ms Monica Muthoni appear before a Kigumo court on March 24, 2017. PHOTO | MARTIN MWAURA | NATION MEDIA GROUP.

Police have been allowed to continue holding two suspects in the murder of evangelist Pius Muiru’s mother.

Kigumo Senior Resident Magistrate Agnes Mwangi on Friday allowed police to lock up Mr Ezekiel Saitambua and Ms Monica Muthoni for 14 more days.

PROBE

The court granted the two weeks to allow police to complete investigations before formally charging the suspects with the murder of Grace Wangari Mwangi.

The ruling followed an application by Inspector Stephen Mwangi who said they needed more time to wrap up investigations into the woman’s death.

Inspector Mwangi, who swore an affidavit, said investigations were still in their early stages, and that vital statements were yet to be recorded.

The two suspects, who were unrepresented, did not object to the police request to continue detaining them.

GRAVE

The suspects will return to court on April 7. In the meantime, they will be detained at the Kigumo Police Station.

On Thursday, Police dug Mrs Mwangi’s body out of a shallow grave behind a cowshed in her farm at Karika Village in Murang'a County.

Mr Saitambua 33, who worked as security guard, is said to have been the deceased’s most trusted worker and Ms Muthoni, 36, who was implicated by Mr Saitambua, is her daughter-in- law.

It is Mr Saitambua who pointed out the location of the grave, about 70 metres from the deceased’s house.

Police believe the two were working together with other players who are yet to be arrested.

SH95

Mr Muiru’s mother was last seen on Monday evening in her house before disappearing without a trace.

The matter was reported to Kigumo Police Station and Mr Saitambua was arrested on March 22 after he was allegedly found in possession of the deceased’s mobile phone.

He allegedly sent himself Sh95 from the woman’s M-Pesa account.

He later revealed that Wangari had been killed and buried days ago, in the process implicating her daughter-in-law.

The police are yet to record statements of some members of the family.