Ex-NIS, DCI Officers Linked to Murder of Two Indians Freed on Bail

Kiambu, Kenya – Fifteen former state officers accused of abducting and murdering two Indian nationals and a Kenyan taxi driver in July 2022 have been released on bail following a High Court ruling.

Justice Francis Rayola granted each accused Sh1 million cash bail or a Sh3 million bond with a surety of the same amount, saying the prosecution had failed to provide compelling reasons for their continued detention.

“Having considered all the material placed before me and the pre-bail reports, I find that the allegations against the accused do not amount to compelling reasons to deny them admission to bond or bail,” Justice Rayola ruled.

The group includes thirteen former officers of the now-disbanded Special Service Unit (SSU) of the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), one from the National Intelligence Service (NIS), and one from the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS).

They deny charges of murdering Indian nationals Zulfiqar Khan and Sami Zaid Kidwai, along with their Kenyan driver, Nicodemus Mwania.

According to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP), the trio was abducted on July 22, 2022, while traveling to Ole Sereni Hotel after an outing in Westlands. Their bodies have never been recovered.

Court filings reveal that Khan and Kidwai, who were in Kenya as tourists, were expected to join President William Ruto’s campaign team as IT experts ahead of the 2022 General Election.

Indians Zulfiqar Ahmad Khan one of the two missing Indians who were part of the Kenya Kwanza digital campaign team.

As part of their bail conditions, Justice Rayola ordered the accused to surrender their passports, prohibited them from leaving Kiambu County without court permission, and directed those without passports to swear affidavits confirming the same.

He further warned the accused against contacting witnesses, either directly or through intermediaries, stating that any breach of the conditions would lead to cancellation of bond and re-arrest.

The accused are represented by lawyers Clinton Mwale, Steve Ogolla, Danstan Omari, and Wandugi Karathe.

The officers were first charged with abduction at Kahawa Magistrate’s Court, but the ODPP later upgraded the charges to murder at the Kiambu High Court.

A constitutional petition by one of the accused, John Wanjiku Macharia, challenging the dual charges was dismissed by Justice Abigal Mshila, who directed that the abduction case be dropped in favor of the murder trial.

The case, which sparked public outrage and renewed scrutiny of security agencies’ accountability, is set to proceed to full hearing later this year.