Police officers linked to the murder of two Indian nationals and a Kenyan have formally been charged with murder at the Kiambu High Court on Thursday.
The officers, including 13 police officers and a National Intelligence Service (NIS) officer, alongside a Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) warden, were today charged with the murder that occurred in Nairobi's Ole Sereni area in July 2022.
According to court documents shared by the Office of the Directorate of Public Prosecutions (ODPP), the three officers were charged after being implicated in the murder of Indian nationals Mohammed Zaid Sami Kidwali and Zulfiqar Ahmed Khan, as well as Kenyan taxi driver Nicodemus Mwania Mwange.
''The court heard that on the night of July 22 and July 23, 2022, near Ole Sereni Hotel along Mombasa Road within Nairobi County, jointly with others not before the court, the accused abducted and killed the three aforementioned persons,'' court documents read in part.
The prosecution has been directed to file its objections to bail, while a probation officer will compile a pre-bail report incorporating input from the victims' families in both Kenya and India.
The officers, drawn from the disbanded Special Service Unit(SSU) of the DCI, NIS, and the KWS pleaded not guilty to the murder charges before Justice Abigael Mshila.
The officers were actively serving in various security agencies at the time of the alleged murders in a case that has been ongoing in court for years.
During the court session, the Defense team led by lawyer Danstan Omari, told the court that the case was being handled unfairly, citing political persecution.
The defense also asked the court to grant bail to the accused, arguing that one of them had been held for over 18 months in custody.
The case will be mentioned on March 20, 2025, for directions, including a ruling date on the bail application.
The SSU officers allegedly abducted the two Indians alongside their taxi driver weeks before the 2022 polls.
Reports indicated that the two foreigners were among those who were assisting President William Ruto's campaign teams by then.
Investigations into the disappearance of the duo were launched shortly after Ruto ordered the disbarment of the special police unit that was attached to the DCI.
