Piece by: PURITY WANGUI

04 November 2022

• Two Indians and their cab driver were allegedly killed by the nine.

• The nine through their counsel Danstan Omari told Chief Magistrate Diana Mochache that their arrest is politically instigated to settle scores.

The nine arrested members of the Special Services Unit - now disbanded- have complained that they feel under pressure to provide evidence against George Kinoti, the former director of criminal investigations, in exchange for their release.

Two Indians and their cab driver were allegedly killed by the nine.

The nine through their counsel Danstan Omari told Chief Magistrate Diana Mochache that their arrest is politically instigated to settle scores.

“My clients are before this court just because the state wants to use them to settle political scores. It is their commander who is being targeted and they are under pressure to incriminate him and turn him into a state witness,” Omari told the court.

Omari said the clothes and bones that were said to belong to the Indian, the family did not accept them.

“Even the bones and clothes that were allegedly retrieved have been disowned by their families,” he said.

During the proceedings, investigating officer Michael Kirui told the court that those involved in the case have been receiving threats.

Kirui said releasing the accused on bail or bond could put the investigators at risk.

“There is genuine fear and anxiety. Preliminary investigations point to a larger network of individuals who are yet to be arrested and hold crucial information in our investigations," Kirui told the court.

On October, the disbanded Special Service Unit officers claimed their arrest was politically instigated.

Investigators were seeking to hold the nine: Peter Muthee Gachiku, Francis Ndonye, John Mwangi, Joseph Kamau, Joseph Mwenda, David Chepcheng, Stephen Luseno, Paul Njogu and Simon Muhunga for 30 days pending investigations.

But the officers opposed the application saying the intention was to frustrate and intimidate them in a politically instigated case.

The officers denied any involvement in the abduction and disappearing of the journalist.

The officers said the arrest and detention was politically instigated, saying top state officials have weighed in on the matter.

"In his Mashujaa Day speech, the head of state explicitly stated that they had issued directions for investigations in regard to the instant matter not withstanding the fact that the National Police Service is an independent office only subject to directions from the office of the DPP," the officers say in their affidavits.