A woman and her son, who have been arraigned over the Wednesday cold-blooded murder of Dr Victoria Nthunya Mutiso, will know their fate on August 3, 2026, when a court determines whether to detain them for 30 days.
Ms Rose Mbithe Mulwa, alias Rose Mbithe Ndetei and Mr Chris Mulwa were presented before Magistrate Geoffrey Onsaringo two days after the early morning killing of one of the country's top psychologists.
Ms Mulwa, is the ex-wife of the late Dr Mutiso’s husband and a Machakos gubernatorial hopeful, while her son is an advocate. The two will remain in police custody awaiting the ruling on Monday, August 3, 2026.
The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) urged the court to detain them for 30 days to enable homicide detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) to finalise investigations into the killing.
Rose Mbithiwe Mulwa and Chris Mulwa before Milimani law court on July 31, 2026. The two are persons of interest in the fatal shooting of Dr Victoria Mutiso in Upper Hill Nairobi earlier this week.
Photo credit: Billy Ogada | Nation
However, defence lawyers Katunga Mbuvi, Danstan Omari, Cliff Ombeta, Shadrack Wambui and Stanley Kinyanjui opposed the detention request, saying the arrest of Ms Mulwa and her son was politically influenced.
"Ms Mulwa has expressed intentions to run for a powerful political seat in 2027, having contested the Machakos governorship in 2022, where she garnered 4,424 votes," Mr Omari told Magistrate Onsaringo.
Ms Mulwa, who contested as an independent candidate, lost to the incumbent, Governor Wavinya Ndeti, who garnered 226,609 votes.
Ms Mulwa was defeated by Ms Ndeti by a margin of 222,185 votes, finishing fifth in the hotly contested race.
However, the prosecution urged the court to allow the police request and detain them for 30 days, saying the killing of the medic had generated significant public interest.
Dr Mutiso, who was a director of the Africa Institute of Mental and Brain Health, was fatally shot on July 29, 2026, by a gunman who had allegedly trailed her.
Dr Mutiso was travelling in a taxi in Upper Hill, Nairobi.
"Dr Mutiso was murdered on July 29, 2026, in Upper Hill, Nairobi, after being trailed and shot by unknown gunmen while travelling in an Uber, registration number KDJ 609D," a prosecuting counsel told the magistrate.
The prosecution urged Mr Onsaringo to detain the two suspects for 30 days before the Director of Public Prosecutions formally charges them with murder.
Before her shooting, the deceased had reported two incidents in which she was allegedly threatened by Chris Mulwa, her stepson, and, on another occasion, by an unidentified motorcycle rider.
"On July 7, 2026, she was driving along Ngong Road when two men riding a motorcycle attempted to shoot her. Her husband, Dr David Musyimi Ndetei, identified the pillion passenger as the second respondent, Chris Mulwa," police state in court filings.
An undated photo of slain clinical psychologist and mental health researcher Dr Victoria Nthunya Mutiso.
Photo credit: Pool
The magistrate heard that Ms Mulwa divorced Dr Ndetei 25 years ago, in 2001. They had four children together, including Chris Mulwa.
Upon their arrest, police recovered crucial exhibits belonging to the slain psychologist.
Seeking the detention orders, the investigating team said they feared the suspects would interfere with prosecution witnesses, as they are well known to key witnesses, including members of the deceased's family.
The prosecution further told the court that the suspects are closely connected to individuals linked to the long-standing land dispute between the deceased and Ms Mulwa.
"Preliminary police investigations have established that there was a land dispute which culminated in a civil suit pending before the Machakos High Court," the court heard.
Police have established that the deceased was named as the third defendant in the Machakos case filed by Ms Mulwa.
The disputed land is located near Mlolongo Weighbridge in Athi River Sub-county, Machakos County.
Police have also established that the land dispute led to the eviction and demolition of the deceased's family property shortly after she began receiving death threats.
The magistrate heard that police believe the suspects possess information regarding the whereabouts and identities of the killers and that, if released, they are likely to communicate with them, facilitate their escape from justice, and conceal or destroy crucial evidence.
Slain clinical psychologist and mental health researcher Dr Victoria Nthunya Mutiso.
Photo credit: Pool
Mr Onsaringo heard that police are examining crucial forensic evidence and analysing CCTV footage, call data, vehicle information and recovered exhibits.
"The respondents are yet to undergo mental examination to determine whether they are fit to stand trial," the court heard.
Investigating Officer Corporal Roman Odour said a post-mortem examination on the body is yet to be conducted to establish the cause of death, alongside the compilation of the investigation diary.
"Police have presented compelling reasons to warrant the detention of the mother and son for 30 days," Cpl Odour states in a supporting affidavit.
Opposing the application, Mr Ombeta said the duo had been held in police custody for more than 24 hours in violation of Article 49 of the Constitution, which requires suspects to be produced in court within 24 hours of arrest.
Mr Katunga said the two are not a flight risk and will cooperate with investigators to ensure the truth is established.
"You will remain in police custody until August 3, 2026, when a decision will be rendered on the DPP's application for a 30-day detention period," Mr Onsaringo told the respondents.
