Detectives attached to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) have arrested Meru Governor Kawira Mwangaza's brother and four other individuals linked to the murder of Meru blogger Daniel Muthiani alias Sniper.
In court documents accessed by Kenyans.co.ke, DCI requested to detain the five suspects for 21 days to allow detectives ample time to conduct thorough investigations.
The request was filed at Kiambu Magistrates Court hours after the case was transferred from Meru to the Nairobi Metropolis.
According to the DCI officer in charge of the investigations, the accused persons contacted the Meru blogger, claiming that he would meet with Mwangaza to seek a truce.
Sniper, a known critic of Mwangaza's leadership, agreed to the request, hoping that they would work together.
The DCI officer claimed that Sniper travelled from his home in Igembe South sub-county to Meru town, where he met with the accused persons and subsequently went missing.
"The deceased's wife tried to contact him in vain prompting her to report the matter at Maua Police Station," read part of the court document.
According to the documents, the blogger's body was found at Mutonga River days later, and preliminary investigations linked the accused persons to his murder.
"The investigating team has vital information that more other people who were involved in the commission of the offence are yet to be arrested," the DCI officer stated.
"The respondents (accused) have to undergo formal police procedures which include but are not limited to recording statements, interrogation, and subjecting them to mental assessment among other actions."
Speaking to the press on Friday, Kawira Mwangaza's Chief of Staff, Nchamba Mbithi, confirmed that the bodyguard was taken into custody by police officers on Thursday evening.
He, however, faulted the frequent arrests of Mwangaza's staff, claiming that they were living in fear over the matter.
"I am here and we've seen all this propaganda on social media of my arrest. I state that if I'm needed to record a statement at the police station, I will do so willingly," he stated.
