The long-running case over the 2015 assassination of former Kabete MP George Muchai has entered a new phase after the High Court in Nairobi ruled that four accused persons must face defence hearings.
In a ruling delivered by Justice Kanyi Kimondo, the court upheld the Director of Public Prosecutions’ (DPP) evidence, finding that a prima facie case had been established against Eric Mungera Isabwa, Raphael Kimani Gachii, Mustafa Kimani Anyoni, and Stephen Astiva Lipopo.
The four stand accused of orchestrating the cold-blooded murder of Hon. Muchai, his two police bodyguards, Constable Samuel Kimathi and Constable Samuel Lekakeny, and his driver, Stephen Ituu Wambugu, along Kenyatta Avenue in February 2015.
The ruling followed a marathon prosecution in which 37 witnesses testified, presenting a mix of direct, circumstantial, and documentary evidence.
Among the most striking testimonies was that of a protected taxi driver, who linked one of the accused, Mustafa Anyoni, to the crime and produced a gun safety pin later confirmed as crucial evidence.
The prosecution argued that the killings were premeditated, citing the use of high-velocity firearms in execution-style shootings. Dr. Johansen Oduor’s autopsy reports confirmed all four victims died from close-range gunshot wounds.
While placing the accused on their defense, Justice Kimondo noted the strength of the evidence but refrained from making determinations on separate robbery with violence charges pending before a Nairobi magistrate’s court.
Three co-accused Jane Wanjiru Kamau, Margaret Njeri Wachiuri, and Simon Wambugu Gichamba were acquitted due to insufficient evidence, narrowing the trial to the four main suspects.
The case now moves to defense hearings scheduled for October 22, 2025, where the accused will respond to the prosecution’s case in what remains one of Kenya’s most high-profile political murder trials.
By Michelle Ndaga
