Njoki Ndung'u

The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) arrested Godwin Kimathi in connection with the tragic murder of his sister, Evelyne Mukiri Mbaabu, a North Imenti Constituency Development Fund (CDF) committee member. Investigators established that Kimathi allegedly masterminded and bankrolled the plot to eliminate the 65-year-old sister over a long-standing family land succession dispute. On August 7, 2026, Mukiri was inside her kitchen in Kithoka Village, Meru County, preparing dinner with her 13-year-old grandson, a man walked into her compound, and asked for a cup of drinking water. According to DCI homicide detectives, Evelyne Mukiri Mbaabu welcomed the stranger into her compound, served him a plate of food, and then instructed her 13-year-old grandson to fetch him a cup of drinking water. It was during this moment of vulnerability, while the grandson was getting the water, that the hired assailant pulled out a panga and executed the attack. While the 13-year-old grandson, Maxwell Mwenda, was returning with the glass of water he heard his grandmother scream. As he rushed back into the kitchen, he found her already lying in a pool of blood. The hitman, Solomon, then immediately turned the panga on the boy, slashing him across the arm and hand before fleeing into the night. Mukiri was pronounced dead upon arrival at Grace Park Hospital. According to Meru County Criminal Investigations officer Abednego Kavoo, Mukiri's late father had left a will dividing land plots equally among his six children (three sons and three daughters). The brothers reportedly opposed giving their sisters any portion of the inheritance. Mukiri recently won a court case to finalize the succession and claim her legal titles, despite her brother having already illegally sold off her share. Police believe this court victory prompted the brothers to plan her execution. The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) identified and tracked down the attacker, Solomon Kathurima Kairemia, through a combination of intensive forensic analysis, intelligence-led tracking, and a physical identification parade. Following the August 7 attack, detectives from the Meru County Criminal Investigations Officer’s (CCIO) office and DCI Imenti North launched a deep digital investigation. They utilized forensic analysis and call data records to map out mobile devices that were active near the crime scene in Kithoka Village at the exact time of the murder. This data pinpointed Kairemia at the location. Once Kairemia was flagged as a prime suspect, detectives discovered he had already fled his home. For weeks, he evaded police by living as a fugitive. Local intelligence and tracking eventually led officers to a thicket just a few meters from his house, where he was hiding out at night. He was arrested there on September 21, 2026. Upon his arrest, DCI detectives searched the area and successfully recovered a blood-stained panga (machete), which was hidden and believed to be the exact weapon used in the fatal attack. The final piece of the puzzle that cemented his role as the executioner was a formal police identification lineup. Despite the immense trauma of the event, the 13-year-old grandson, Maxwell, was able to positively identify Kairemia as the stranger who had asked for water and subsequently attacked them. Securing Kairemia's arrest and seizing his mobile phone allowed the DCI's Crime Research and Intelligence Bureau (CRIB) to dig deeper. By analyzing his text messages and call logs, detectives found a web of consistent communication right before and immediately after the murder between Kairemia, the brother (Godwin Kimathi), and Beth Muthomi. This forensic trail proved that the hit had been planned and funded by the family members over the court-ruled land succession.