DPP moves to charge Governor Kawira Mwangaza’s brother with murder of Daniel “Sniper” Muthiani

The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) has given the order for two suspects implicated in the murder of Meru blogger Daniel Muthiani Bernard, also known as Sniper, to be charged with murder.

The individuals in question are Murangiri Kenneth Guantai, alias Tali, who is the brother of Meru Governor Kawira Mwangaza, and Vincent Mureithi Kirimi, alias Supuu. Guantai, a police officer, previously served as a bodyguard to Mwangaza.

DPP Renson Ingonga confirmed that his office had received the police investigation file and, following a thorough analysis, concluded that there was sufficient evidence to sustain the murder charge against Vincent Mureithi Kirimi and Murangiri Kenneth Guantai. As a result, the DPP directed that both suspects be arraigned before the High Court at Kiambu for the offense of murder.

Miscellaneous Application No. E011 of 2024 and E025 of 2024 were filed against five other suspects, currently pending before Kibera Law Courts, with the DPP committing to issuing appropriate directions upon the completion of the investigations.

The Meru blogger, Sniper, was reported missing on December 2, 2023, and his body was later discovered dumped in Mutonga River in Tharaka Nithi County on December 16, 2023. A post-mortem revealed that the blogger had been tortured before being strangled.

According to court documents, the killers enticed Muthiani to his death by promising to arrange a meeting with Governor Mwangaza, who had been criticized by the blogger in his social media posts. The meeting, as per the suspects, was purportedly to discuss establishing a working relationship with the county chief.

A call data analysis of the suspects revealed a communication pattern before the blogger’s murder. The ongoing probe aims to establish the mastermind behind the plan to eliminate Sniper and the procurement of the killers, as per section 20 of the Penal Code, which defines a principal offender.