Mavoko Court to Rule on Thursday Whether They Will Be Detained for 14 Days
By Anchor Writer
Three colleagues of murdered Machakos County IT officer Alphonse Matee are among nine people under investigation over his death after detectives linked them to the deceased’s final hours.
DCI believes the nine were with the deceased before his body was dumped at a ranch near Kyumbi.
The nine – Johnstone Wambua Ndonye, Meshack Manthi Kioko, Antony Musila Mbaluka, Monicah Ndanu Mutunga, Daniel Kyengo Nzisa, Joseph Munguti Mbusi, Shadrack Keli Matata, Bernard Mutunga and Michael Nzioki – were presented virtually before the Mavoko Law Courts as police sought orders to detain them for 14 days to complete investigations into the killing.
The first three respondents, Ndonye an accountant, Kioko, a procurement officer and Mbaluka an IT officer, are colleagues of the deceased at the County Government of Machakos.
According to court documents filed by the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), Matee was last seen at Brew Box Bar and Grill at Kyumbi Junction town in the company of the respondents before he disappeared.
His body was later discovered at the late Senator Mutula’s Ranch along the Kyumbi-Machakos Road with visible injuries.
Investigators told the court that his hands, legs and neck had been tied with pieces of cloth.
A postmortem conducted at Machakos Level 5 Hospital established that Matee died from severe head and neck injuries caused by blunt force trauma.
The DCI, through investigating officer Inspector Geoffrey Busoro, told the court that detectives require additional time to analyse CCTV footage collected from Brew Box Bar and Grill, examine M-Pesa and bank transactions, process mobile phone records and obtain toxicology reports from the Government Chemist.
Investigators also informed the court that they are pursuing additional suspects still at large, believed to be connected to the murder.
However, the application was strongly opposed by defence lawyers.
Advocate Reuben Mutiso appeared for the first respondent, Ndonye, while Jackson Kalla represented Kioko and Mbaluka. Advocate Morris Kimuli appeared for Monicah Ndanu Mutunga, Daniel Kyengo Nzisa, Joseph Munguti Mbusi and Shadrack Keli Matata.
The defence lawyers argued that police had not demonstrated sufficient grounds to justify holding their clients for a further 14 days.
Mr.Kalla told the court that CCTV footage already obtained by investigators showed his clients leaving the drinking table and proceeding to their respective homes, leaving Matee behind.”What is the reason for this prolonged period since police have covered reasonable ground?” Kalla asked.
He argued that the respondents could not interfere with the acquisition of M-Pesa statements, bank records or call data, as those records were already in the custody of service providers and investigators.
Lawyer J. Kilonzi held brief for the family of the deceased.
After hearing submissions from both sides, Mavoko Senior Principal Magistrate Meresio Opondo deferred her ruling to Thursday, June 25, when she will determine whether the nine suspects should remain in custody to allow detectives more time to complete investigations.
The case has generated widespread public interest across Machakos County following the discovery of Matee’s body at the ranch, with investigators focusing on the movements of those who spent his final hours with him and the financial and communication trail that may reveal what happened before his death.
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