Francis Muya, 72, who has been charged with planning the murder of five members of his family, appeared before a Naivasha court. His daughter and her fiancé, who live in Boston, Massachusetts, in the United States of America, also face extradition to stand trial for conspiracy to murder at Naivasha Court.
Alice Wanjohi, a Kenyan woman who resides in Boston, United States, and her fiancé, Amos Wanjiru are set to be extradited to Naivasha to face conspiracy-to-murder charges alongside the woman's 72-year-old father.
Last Friday, a Naivasha court gave the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) two months to release a file in which Francis Muya, 72, is charged with plotting the murder of five members of his family.
Boston-Naivasha connection
The court also directed the DPP to declare the progress made in plans to extradite the two suspects, who reside in Boston, Massachusetts, over an alleged plot to eliminate five family members to take over a multi-million shilling family parcel of land located in Molo, Nakuru County.
The victims in the case decried the slow pace at which the DPP has been issuing directives in the matter, which has dragged on for two years.
During the hearing, prosecutor Joseck Abwayo requested an adjournment, saying the file was still with the DPP.
“The delay in starting the case is attributed to complaints from both parties, which forced the DPP to recall the file for further review. The DPP is still studying the file, and we are awaiting further directions before deciding how to proceed,” Mr Abwayo told the court.
The victims’ lawyer, Mbugua Macharia, however, accused the prosecution of using delay tactics to stall the high-profile case.
“We are asking the court to issue the last adjournment and order the extradition of the two US-based suspects so that this case can finally proceed,” said Mr Macharia.
Naivasha Chief Magistrate Abdulqadir Ramathan gave the DPP until February 18, 2026, to issue directives on the file, while calling for private prosecution if no action is taken.
Muya has been charged in Naivasha law courts with planning to murder his estranged wife and four children over the ownership of a prime parcel of land worth millions in Molo town.
The suspects—Muya, his daughter, Alice and her fiancé, Amos—allegedly set aside Sh3.1 million to hire people to kill Muya’s estranged wife, Rose Njeri, and children Anthony Mwaura, Martin Muya, Alex Muya, and Oprah Muya between March 1 and May 2 last year.
Plot foiled by the assassins
However, the hired killers pocketed Sh1.7 million and later revealed the murder plan to the victims, who alerted the police. Muya and his accomplice, Charles Muraya, were subsequently arrested.
Court records show that Muya and the US-based duo allegedly sponsored the planned elimination of the five family members. State Counsel Lilian Mogoi told the court that authorities are seeking to arrest more suspects but plan to turn the second accused, Charles Muraya, into a state witness.
The victims, through their lawyer, objected, arguing that Muraya played a critical role in the planned murders.
The suspects’ lawyer, Edwin Njagi, maintained that the charges are fabricated, stemming from a dispute over land ownership after the main suspect separated from his wife more than 20 years ago.
Court documents indicate that Muya, with the help of his daughter and fiancé, hired the killers to eliminate the family members and take over the prime land in Molo. The plan allegedly began on March 1, when Muya and his daughter met the two hired killers at a hotel in Nakuru City.
According to a sworn statement by one of the hired killers, Paul Waithaka, who has since been appointed as a state witness, Muya and his daughter wanted the mother, and her three sons and one daughter kidnapped, forced to transfer the land to their names and then killed.
They agreed on a fee of Sh3.1 million and collected Sh1.7 million before the woman returned from the United States.
One of the victims, Martin Muya, a Naivasha businessman, described receiving a phone call from the hired hitmen warning him to stay away from the land, as they had been paid to carry out the murders.
On May 1, the victims met the killers in Naivasha, where the plot was fully revealed, including chats, Mpesa transactions and other evidence.
Two months ago, Naivasha Senior Resident Magistrate Wilson Rading recused himself from the case due to its high public profile. Members of the public had staged street protests over the stalled case, claiming that prosecution delays were unjustified.
Following the recusal, Naivasha Chief Magistrate Nathan Luttathen directed that the matter be heard in a different court.
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