By Judith Gicobi
The main suspect in the killing of Samuel Mugo Muvota in Mirema a week ago has turned himself in.
On the afternoon of Monday, May 16, Mugo was shot dead by an unknown assailant in a well-planned execution recorded by adjacent CCTV cameras. The Directorate of Criminal Investigations identified Dennis Karani Gachoki as the alleged shooter a few days later.
According to local media, the key suspect in the killing surrendered to the DCI at its headquarters along Kiambu Road on Monday, May 23, and stated that he was innocent.
The accused says he only met the deceased twice, once in Meru and once in Nairobi. “I knew him but I had never had his contact. I got to know him in 2018 during a wedding ceremony in Meru. A friend of mine introduced me to Mugota. After the wedding, we used the same vehicle back to Nairobi.”
“We never exchanged the contacts. At the time of his murder, I was in Nakuru when I heard that he has been killed. I learnt about his death through the media,” the suspect explained.
Gachoki admitted to having an open fraud lawsuit, but insisted that he did not kill Mugo, who has now been identified by authorities as a hardcore criminal. The accused further said he was ready to prove that he had nothing to do with the shocking daylight gunshot that startled Kenyans.
He says he was shocked at seeing himself trend and being linked to the heinous crime. “I got the report that I was a suspect as I was in a Nakuru restaurant. It is actually a friend who came to tell me that I was trending. I checked I saw that I was being accused of murder. I was so shocked and I still am till now,” he said.
The main suspect is now helping with the investigation into the man’s death, according to National Police Service spokesperson Bruno Shioso.
