Man Shot Dead In Ruiru Was Under Police Surveillance For Long Over Robberies

For almost five years, Daniel Ndutire, who was on Monday afternoon shot dead in Juja, Kiambu county, operated freely despite the fact that a warrant of arrest had been issued against him for jumping bail in a robbery case.

But even as the authorities sought him, he is said to have been involved in a number of other robbery incidents within Nairobi, its environs and beyond, according to records from the courts.

In one of the cases in March 2017, Ndutire was among six suspects who were involved in a failed bank robbery in Eldoret town after they disarmed police officers guarding a bank.

The robbers raided Supreme Equity Bank at Poa Place and disarmed police officers on guard of their AK47 rifles. The gang, however, got wind that the area had been surrounded by police and escaped before conducting the robbery.

Immediately police gave chase and arrested three suspects at Cheptiret market on the Eldoret-Nakuru highway and recovered three guns and a Toyota Harrier car with a fake number plate that had been used during the attempted robbery.

Court records

In another robbery case that was terminated by the Makadara Law Courts in Nairobi after the suspects absconded, Ndutire and Stephen Mungai had been accused of robbing Patrick Nduati of his lorry and 300 gas cylinders on June 14, 2014, at Sunton area in Mwiki. The two had been arrested and charged with robbery. Court records indicated that they robbed Nduati of Sh117,000 and two mobile phones.

The suspects were released on bail of Sh500,000. However, after a few court appearances, they jumped bail and the court issued several warrants of arrest against them. At one point, one of their sureties was arrested.

After police failed to arrest them, the then Makadara Chief Magistrate Evelyne Olwande on August 16, 2016, withdrew the case, CR 2938/14, pending execution of the arrest warrants. Ndutire was never arrested but continued with his activities unabated.

The slain man, who officially presented himself as a businessman dealing in motor vehicle sales, also had another matter pending before the Milimani Magistrate’s Court, case number MCCR/379/2019. His last court visit was September 21, 2020, when he appeared before Magistrate Kenneth Cheruiyot in court number 7.

He had also been charged with robbery with violence together with some members of his family in 2015. Police said that on July 15, 2015, Ndutire and other men, all dressed in police uniform, blocked a lorry registration number KBV 400K loaded with laptops, clothes and mobile phones worth Sh60 million. On August 6 the same year, some of the stolen goods worth more than Sh3 million were recovered in Ritho village in Kiambu county, at Ndutire’s residence. It was during the raid that his wife and mother were arrested and charged in court, under file number 1978/2015. One of his female family members had also in March 2019 been charged with robbery with violence at a Milimani court. Detectives said she carjacked a motorist at gunpoint on Riara Road in Nairobi on June 28, 2017.

New particulars

The victim, Cyrus Mwaura, said he was robbed of his Toyota Harrier valued at Sh2.8 million. They were trailing the man closely on Riara road and later stopped him and introduced themselves as police officers. They pulled him out of the car and drugged him before driving away with the vehicle. The car would later be traced on February 15, 2019, with a new registration number and particulars. The suspect was one of the occupants.

On the day he was shot dead, Ndutire was to meet his wife Wangari at Kamakis, near Ruiru. The man had earlier at 2.29pm called his wife and asked her to deliver to him some documents he intended to use in selling a car in Thika. She, however, delayed making it to Ruiru and the husband, after calling her for the last time at 2.56pm, decided to leave. The wife instead sent him the documents via WhatsApp.

Moments later he was shot at Gwa-Kairu near Spur Mall. He was rushed to Thika Level Five hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival.

The gunmen were riding on a motorcycle and it is suspected they were trailing him. He was driving in a white Subaru Forester registration number KDC 010H. The killers fired a total of 24 rounds of ammunition.

By yesterday, police said they were yet to establish the motive and identity of the killers. They, however, said the matter was under investigation.

Source: People.