Meru blogger Sniper murder: Court orders two suspects to undergo mental assessment

The Kiambu Law Court has ordered a mental assessment for suspects in the murder of Meru blogger Daniel Muthiani, popularly known as Snipper.

The suspects, Vincent Muriithi also known as Supuu and Governor Kawira Mwangaza's brother Kenneth Murangiri alias Tali, were arraigned on Friday.

The Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP), in a statement to the newsrooms, said it had sought for the duo to be charged with murder, but the court deputy registrar directed that the pair be taken for mental assessment before standing trial.

"In her ruling, the Deputy Registrar allowed the prosecution application and directed that each suspect be subjected to a psychiatrist assessment and the report tabled in court before a plea is taken," the ODPP stated.

The two are set to face murder charges on the January 29, 2024.

This comes even as Governor Mwangaza and her husband Murega Baichu demanded answers from sleuths who roped them into the investigations.

The two have maintained that reports linking them to the killing are nothing but mere political witch-hunt.

The ODPP, in a statement released on Thursday evening, said there was sufficient evidence to sustain murder charges against the two suspects.

Sniper disappeared on December 2, 2023 before his body was discovered two weeks later.

Five suspects would later be arrested in connection to the killing, including; Kenneth Mutua Gatiri alias Gasigi, Fredrick Muruiki Kiugi alias Pope, Franklin Kimathi alias Dudu Ras, Timothy Kinoti alias Timo and Murangiri Kenneth Guantai alias Tali.

They were nabbed in Meru town by homicide detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) on January 4, 2024, and booked at various police stations within Nairobi and Kiambu.

A post-mortem examination conducted on the body of the deceased at the Marimanti Level 4 Hospital mortuary revealed that he died of strangulation.

Government pathologist Johansen Oduor, who conducted the examination, said Sniper had marks on his neck and exhibited signs of a person who had lacked oxygen.

He also had fractured ribs and showed injuries.