Police: Trader’s killers likely contracted

Homicide detectives believe that the death of renowned Nyeri businessman Erasmus Kinyua last month was a contract killing and his widow could be at the centre of it.

A prisons officer, a nurse, a boda boda operator and an alleged Kenya Wildlife Service officer imposter are also believed to be involved in the murder, said to have been triggered by infidelity.

The businessman, who owned an electronics shop in Nyeri town, was lured to his death on his farm in Kangemi. He had put up part of his estate for sale and his killers are said to have posed as potential buyers on December 19, when they beat him to death.

Mr Kinyua reportedly drove them to the property in his car. Residents later found him bludgeoned to death and his car abandoned at the scene.

An autopsy report showed that he died as a result of blunt force trauma to the head.

Police records at the time showed that no valuables were taken from him, ruling out robbery as a motive. Recent developments now point to a possible contract killing said to be worth Sh400,000.

Illicit relationship

Detectives yesterday alleged that an illicit relationship between the businessman’s widow and an officer with the Nyeri Main Prison in King’ong’o likely triggered the murder.

Nyeri sub-county Criminal Investigations Officer John Gacheru confirmed the arrest of Doris Wambui, the widow, and Constable Benson Musili as the main suspects. A nurse, a guard posing as a KWS officer and a boda boda rider have also been arrested.

“We have a total of five suspects in custody with links to the murder. We are in the process of piecing together the forensic evidence and questioning potential witnesses before we begin the trial,” Mr Gacheru said.

The Nation has learned that the widow and the prisons officer had been in a love affair for years and the slain trader had caught wind of the illicit relationship.

As a result, he is said to have cut off the woman from his businesses and other properties, triggering a dispute.

Detectives believe a murder plot was thereafter hatched, with the widow and her lover as the masterminds. They are said to have sought the services of two hitmen, who were allegedly promised Sh400,000.

Mr Gacheru said claims about the payout were being investigated.

“There have been such reports, which we are investigating, and we will ascertain if they are true,” he said.

Police have also revealed that the widow and her lover allegedly tried to flee the country when detectives started investigating the case.

On December 22, detectives used mobile phone transmissions to track down Ms Wambui and her lover to Kivaa in Machakos County. Police sources said the two were intercepted while heading to a hideout with plans to flee to Tanzania. A saloon car they had been using was also impounded.

On December 23, they were presented before Principal Magistrate James Macharia in Nyeri and police sought to detain them for 21 days. The magistrate instead granted them 14 days to finalise their investigations.

“After the two-week duration, we shall come back to assess how far the detectives have gone with the investigations and if the court shall add the police more days to enable them to complete their investigations,” the magistrate said.

Seized mobile phones

When the two were arrested, police also seized mobile phone SIM cards suspected to have been used in committing the offence. Investigators say they have established that the cards were used to communicate with the hitmen.

Mobile phone data helped detectives arrest the boda boda rider and the guard, who are believed to have killed the trader.

A nurse who was reportedly in a relationship with the prisons officer was also arrested after being found with one of the phones that she was supposedly meant to dispose of.

The case continues on January 10.