How ‘Deep State’ Trail, Torture And Kill Targets

Ever wonder how the so called deep state trail and kill their targets? The case on the abduction and subsequent disappearance of two Indian nationals and one Kenyan involving 15 officers from the former Special Services Unit (SSU) of the DCI whose hearing began on Monday before Kahawa Law Courts Principal Magistrate Hon. Gideon Kiage paints a closer picture of the intricate killer web.

The accused persons Chief Inspector Peter Muthee Gachiku, IP James Kibosek Tanuki, Cpl Joseph Kamau Mbugua, Cpl David Chepchieng Kipsoi, Cpl Joseph Mwenda Mbaya, Cpl John Mwangi Kamau, Cpl Hillary Limo Kipchumba, Pc Stephen Luseno Matunda, Pc Simon Muhuga Gikonyo, Pc Paul Njogu Muriithi, Pc/Drv Boniface Otieno Mtulla, Pc Elikana Njeru Mugendi, Pc Fredrick Thuku Kamau, John Wanjiku Macharia and Michael Kiplangat Bett are alleged to have committed the offence on the victims Zulfiqar Ahmed Khan and Mohammed Zaid Sami and Nicodemus Mwania Mwange on diverse dates between 22nd July and 23rd July 2022 at Nairobi County.

The accused in court.

The prosecution in their opening statement gave the court a chronology of how the heinous act which was well planned and executed with enormous resources utilized was committed, from how they were trailed by officers from the defunct SSU, continuous location of their mobile phones by the National Intelligence Service officers as well as abduction and Kenya Wildlife Service officers facilitating the alleged disposal of the victims at the Aberdare National Park in Nyeri county.

The prosecution led by Jalson Makori and Harrison Kiarie also told the court that they will be relying on testimonies from 30 witnesses to prove the case against the accused persons.

In his testimony, the first witness told the court that he and his co-investigators from the directorate of criminal investigations were assigned duty to investigate and apprehend the suspects accused of committing the crime. He noted that during their investigations, they identified three vehicles registration numbers KDD 632J, KDH 262S and KDG 836X that were believed to have been used in the trailing and subsequent abduction of the three victims.

He added that on the 6th of October 2022, led by lead investigator they visited Michele gardens in South B where they located one of the vehicles KDH262S being in possession of Edward Kamau Wanjiku at the time of impounding it who upon interrogations introduced the owner Mr. Fabian Mjomba Koshen. He escorted the two to South B police station and booked the detention of the car and handed over the keys to the OCS Chief Inspector Robert Mbui of South B station under OB Number 16 of 6th October 2022. Later he escorted the two to internal affairs unit offices at KCB towers in upper hill Nairobi for interrogations.

He further told court that they continued with the operation and located KDD 632J Nissan Note at CIC plaza in possession of Ms. Evaline Waithera Wanjiku who was taken to custody. After brief interrogation she introduced another suspect John Macharia Wanjiku. Consequently, they dropped the car at Capitol hill police station where it was booked for detention under OB 22 of 6th October 2022. She also led them to a rented apartment in Kinoo where a search was undertaken but didn’t yield much of material evidence.

After a brief interview on the evening of 6/10/2022, he booked the three suspects to custody John Macharia Wanjiku at Kilimani police station under OB number 7 of 6 October 2022, Edward Kamau Wanjiku Capitol Hill Police station under OB number 29 of 6th October 2022 and Fabian Mjomba Koshen Capitol Hill Police station OB number 29 of 6th October 2022.

He added that on 19th October 2022, as a team of investigators they proceeded to Aberdare National Park in Nyeri where they conducted a search and collected exhibits which were forwarded to the government chemist at Kenyatta National Hospital.

He notes that their visit to Aberdare was informed by the vehicle tracking logs retrieved from the vehicle suspected to have been used in the crime as per the data retrieved from the National treasury, the custodian of government leased vehicles.

Zulfiqar Ahmad Khan and his friend Mohamed Zaid Sami Kidwai, who were part of the Kenya Kwanza digital campaign team, went missing alongside taxi driver Nicodemus Mwania from Mombasa Road.

The two contributed immensely to the success of Ruto’s campaign.

On ascending to power, Ruto immediately disbanded the SSU Unit and the prosecution of the case began.

WHY WAS DCI DISBANDED?

“We can efficiently suppress crime, monitor, disrupt and apprehend criminals without abducting, torturing, killing or causing citizens to disappear,” Ruto said, while disbanding the DCI and SSU.

He added, “It is time to retire these terrible tactics and professionalise our criminal justice system.”

DCI’s SSU was created in 1999 due to the growing cases of crimes within the country. It was tasked to combat illegal trafficking of firearms and or ammunitions, trafficking of narcotic drugs, robberies, cases of stealing of goods in transit and illegal human trafficking.

But the very unit which was formed to check crimes turned into a militia as it carried out extrajudicial killings and enforced disappearances of both citizens and foreign nationals. Khan, Kidwai and their driver were probably the victims of SSU men.