Two Murang’a cousins seized for murder, illegal exhumations

An 18-year-old Form Four leaver from Murang'a County has been arrested alongside his 31-year-old cousin in connection with several illegal exhumations, armed robberies and murders.

Five others, believed to be members of the same gang, are being sought by detectives, who retrieved five spent cartridges from the house of one of the suspects.

The teenager is reported to have participated in several capital offences alongside his cousin and an uncle, who is among the five being sought.

"He has been escaping getting jailed despite having been arrested 12 times since 2017 for dealing in illicit brews after invoking the minor age advantage. Despite being a student, since 2018 he has been living in a rental house, has two wives with three children," his 2020 probation report filed at the Kigumo courthouse reads.

He had been charged with distilling chang'aa but was released after arguing that he was a student and would be denied his right to education if he was incarcerated.

Murders and robberies

Detectives said the gang was behind at least three murders in Murang'a South, five robberies with violence and an attempt to exhume a tycoon’s body in Kandara in order to steal the casket.

The eighteen-year-old was allegedly recruited into the gang by his cousin.

The two were arrested on Thursday night in Kenol while trying to exhume a body. Villagers found them in the act and gave chase.

"The two, while riding a motorcycle, were arrested in Kenol after it ran out of fuel. Villagers and officers in the chase apprehended them and [they] were transferred to Maragua Police Station to help in other criminal investigations," Murang'a South Sub-County Police Commander Alexander Shikondi said.

Spent cartridges recovered

A detective privy to the case told Nation.Africa that "further investigations recovered four spent cartridges from the house of one of the suspects and we are now encouraging him to lead us to where the firearm in use is hidden".

Mr Shikondi said all the suspects are aged between 18 and 32 and "belong to a very dangerous gang”.

The towns mostly targeted by the gang are Maragua, Gakoigo, Mugoiri, Kenol, Karugia, Mutoho and Makenji.

Mr Shikondi said the gangsters use motorcycles in their night raids and after the heists, they retreat to rental houses in Maragua town.

The crackdown comes a month after Murang’a County Commissioner Karuku Ngumo promised residents that there would be renewed zeal in the war against serious crimes.

Jailbirds

Murang'a South Deputy County Commissioner Gitonga Murungi said gang members on police radar are jailbirds who have been in and out of prison for various crimes, including dealing in illegal brews and narcotics, assaults and robberies.

"One of the challenges that we have is victims’ unwillingness to [testify] in court. This undermines our ability to push for convictions," he said.

He added: “We want to build formidable trust around officers and residents for purposes of sharing information in a confidential manner.

“We want to assure all complainants and witnesses in capital offences that we can protect them against retaliation by the criminals.”

Mr Shikondi said the suspects in custody are expected to help police arrest the others who are still at large.

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