Three suspects freed, 3 others to face High Court trial over Machakos triple murder

A Machakos court has freed three suspects linked to the brutal murder of three young men in Machakos on May 31, 2026, while committing another three to face murder charges at the High Court.

Senior Principal Magistrate Betty Koech ruled that Keith Mutuku Muli, Esther Mumbua Mwololo, and Yussuf Said be freed, closing their files.

However, she directed that the cases against Christopher Mwenda Robert, Francis Mutinda Kimeu, and Dominic Muinde Paul be transferred to the Machakos High Court for trial.

Appearing before High Court Judge Justice Josephine Mong'are, the trio was ordered to undergo a mental assessment at Machakos Level 5 Hospital to determine their fitness to stand trial.

Justice Mong'are directed the officer in charge of Machakos GK Prison to ensure the accused are escorted to the hospital for the evaluation.

Justice Mong'are further directed that Dominic and Paul, the second and third accused, be provided with pro bono legal services, as they currently lack legal representation. Mwenda, the first accused, already has counsel.

The three suspects will remain in custody at Machakos GK Prison pending the outcome of their mental evaluation and subsequent trial.

The case stems from the deaths of three young men — Kennedy Mutiso, 29, his younger brother Stanley Muthungu, 22, and their family friend Charles Mutiso, 25 — who were lynched and set ablaze in Machakos town by a mob on the night of May 31, 2026.

Initial reports indicated that the trio were suspected robbers who had allegedly attempted to steal a miraa trader's vehicle after posing as passengers.

However, subsequent investigations painted a different picture, with detectives alleging the victims had been walking home after watching the UEFA Champions League final when one of them was struck by a Probox vehicle.

Prosecutors say the driver, Christopher Mwenda Robert, allegedly raised a false alarm claiming he was being carjacked, prompting boda boda riders and members of the public to descend on the three men.

Police investigations later led to the arrest of Mwenda and five other suspects over the killings.