Probe into the attempted murder of former Garissa County Finance Executive Idriss Mukhtar were dealt a blow after a self-confessed shooter, David Wanjiru Mwai, was found dead in his police cell.
New information revealed that detectives investigating the matter were pulled off the case the day Mwai died under unclear circumstances.
His family alleged the police had offered to help Mwai escape before he ‘committed suicide’ after they realised he had informed the family of their plan.
Mwai's sister stated: “He called through a number saying a police officer had approached him and asked him to agree to escape from the cells. He wanted to know what my take was on this."
The sister further added: “I advised him against agreeing to the request because he had confessed to his actions. I told him this would expose him to more danger.”
According to reports a magistrate had visited Mwai in the cells for a confession and allowed the police to hold him.
Strangely, Mwai’s wife Hajila went missing on Monday when the six suspects were arrested and her phone number is not going through. The family visited several police stations in an effort to locate her to no avail.
Mwai was picked up from Dandora on Monday by police in several saloon cars and taken to Kilimani Police Station before being transferred to Parklands.
Police were unable to explain how a person was able to hang himself in a cell filled with other people and during the day.
According to reports by the Standard, Internal police communication showed the incident entered on the Parklands Police Station Occurrence Book number 32/30/8/2018 states that Mwai had tried to hang himself by using one of the pipes that connect to a toilet water tank at 12.18pm on Thursday as reported by constable Kennedy Njuguna and Sikukuu Galgalo who were manning the report desk located just next to the cells.
“The OCS, Moses Shikuku, Inspector Mary Nderitu and other officers rushed to the cell and found constable Njuguna trying to save the victim," the statement in the OB stated.
"He had to hang on one of the pipes on the metallic water tank in the cell’s toilet using a clothing material. He showed signs of breathing and was rushed immediately to the MP Shah Hospital where doctors attempted resuscitation but he died in the process,” it added.
Notably, reports indicated that the six suspects in the case held at Parklands Police Station were in separate cells and there were three other suspects in the cell where Mwai allegedly hanged himself, including a foreigner.
The new team formed by the Director of Criminal Investigations (DCI) to probe the attempted homicide have allegedly been directed by DCI George Kinoti, to carry out investigations from his office where he can monitor it closely.
Mukhtar had on several occasions complained of threats to his life to police and had shared his statement in which he named possible suspects behind the threats with his lawyers.
