George Muchai murder: Six suspects convicted as case nears end

Suspects in George Muchai murder at Milimani Law Courts. [Nancy Gitonga, Standard] A Nairobi court has convicted six people in connection with a series of violent robberies carried out hours before the fatal shooting of former Kabete MP George Muchai and his aides 11 years ago at the Kenyatta Avenue-Uhuru Highway roundabout in Nairobi's Central Business District. Delivering the judgment at Milimani Law Courts, Chief Magistrate Lucas Onyina found four suspects guilty of three counts of robbery with violence and being in unlawful possession of stolen property belonging to Muchai, his bodyguards, and four other victims, after determining that the prosecution had established its case beyond a reasonable doubt. The convicted were identified as Eric Munyera Isabwa (alias Chairman), Raphael Kimani Gachii (alias Kim Butcher), Mustafa Kimani Anyoni (alias Musto), and Stephen Astiva Lipopo (alias Chokore). The court heard that the gang terrorised Nairobi and Kiambu counties the night before Muchai's death. READ: 10 years later; Why late MP George Muchai is not resting in peace "I find that Isabwa, Kimani, Mustafa, and Astiva are guilty of the first three charges of robbery with violence and each of them violently robbed victims of their property," Magistrate Onyina ruled. "Accused 1,2,3,4 jointly robbed the complainants while armed with dangerous weapons and threatened to use violence during the offences," Magistrate Onyina added The magistrate, however, acquitted the prime suspect's girlfriend, Margaret Njeri Wachiuri, and two other accused, Jane Wanjiru Kamau (Shiro) and Simon Wambugu Gichamba, on charges of robbery with violence for lack of evidence. The court also found that Isabwa and his girlfriend, Njeri, were guilty of unlawful possession of the G3 rifle said to be the murder weapon in Muchai's murder, and his aides and seven rounds of 7.62mm ammunition, while Wanjiru was found guilty of having stolen property, being two rounds of 9mm ammunition without a firearm certificate. Further, the court has convicted Wanjiru's boyfriend, Kimani Gachii, on two additional charges of possessing a Ceska pistol and 15 rounds of 9mm ammunition, believed to belong to one of Muchai's bodyguards, without a valid certificate." ALSO READ: Life and times of fiery trade unionist turned-astute politician George Muchai The seventh accused, Simon Wambugu Gichamba, who was arrested by police for charging a Nokia phone brought to his workplace by Kimani Gachii and his girlfriend Wanjira, whose phone was stolen from one of the robbery victims, was acquitted of all charges, including robbery with violence and unlawful possession of stolen property, after the court found him not guilty Court records indicate that the four convicted accused violently robbed Michael Gatutu, his wife Jane Njoki Ngatia, sisters Gladys Waitheira and Irene Muthoni and several other civilians hours before they killed Muchai and his aides while buying newspapers a few minutes to 3 am on the fateful night. Victims lost vehicles, mobile phones, laptops, cash, Muchai's briefcase, and two pistols belonging to his bodyguards. Witness testimony described how the suspects forced victims into vehicles, threatened them at gunpoint, and systematically moved from one robbery to another. "Having evaluated the evidence tendered before this court, I am satisfied that the prosecution has proved the charges against the accused persons beyond a reasonable doubt," the magistrate ruled. Evidence tendered in court through 36 witnesses led by Investigating Officer Inspector Moses Otiu revealed that hours before Muchai's death, two sisters, Waithera and Muthoni, driving in Wangige, Kiambu County, were also attacked. ALSO READ: From 150 calls to Sh30,000 cash transfer: Inside murder plot of MP George Muchai Four Armed men hijacked their car, ordered them into silence, and abandoned them near Zambezi along the NairobiNakuru Highway in Kiambu County after stealing the vehicle. Police investigations traced and arrested the suspects in Kiambu County, recovering weapons including a G3 rifle, a pistol with erased serial numbers, seven rounds of 7.62mm ammunition, and other stolen items. Identification parades linked the accused to both the robberies and the subsequent fatal shooting of Muchai, his driver, and two bodyguards in the early hours of February 7, 2015. According to the court, the testimonies of prosecution witnesses, including victims, civilians, and police officers, formed a continuous sequence of events demonstrating the participation of the accused persons in the robberies. The court also relied on evidence that supported the doctrine of recent possession, noting that stolen property recovered from the accused shortly after the incidents raised a strong presumption of their participation. The six convicted suspects are expected to be sentenced on March 18, 2026.

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