The legal proceedings regarding the abduction and subsequent disappearance of two Indian nationals and a Kenyan taxi driver continued yesterday at Kahawa Law Courts under the jurisdiction of Principal Magistrate Gideon Kiage.
During the session, one of the 33 witnesses for the prosecution testified regarding the involvement of government vehicles from the former Special Services Unit (SSU) of the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) in the incident. According to the witness, these vehicles were allegedly used to track, apprehend, and dispose of the victims within Aberdare National Park, located in Nyeri County.
Specifically, the witness mentioned the vehicle with registration number GKB 038U, suspected of transporting the victims to the park. Car tracking records indicated its entry through Treetops Gate at 18:34 on July 22, 2022, notably beyond the official operating hours of 06:00 to 18:00. However, this vehicle’s presence was not documented in the gate vehicle register maintained by the Kenya Wildlife Service.
In addition to tracking logs, the witness informed the court about the seizure of 20 mobile phones belonging to the accused individuals. These phones underwent forensic analysis at the DCI laboratory, followed by further examination by the Communications Authority of Kenya and later in India. This extensive analysis aimed to gather more evidence pertaining to the period of the alleged abductions.
Furthermore, the witness highlighted a communication retrieved from one of the phones, a Samsung A12 with IMEI 350711558872733, belonging to Cpl John Mwangi Kamau. The communication, dated October 16, 2022, at 15:57, involved a chat between Cpl Joseph Mwenda Baya and Cpl John Mwangi Kamau. In this exchange, Cpl Baya inquired about revisiting the scene, to which Cpl Kamau responded affirmatively, referring to one of the accused persons.
The accused individuals, including Chief Inspector Peter Muthee Gachiku, IP James Kibosek Tanuki, and others, are charged with committing the offense against Zulfiqar Ahmed Khan, Mohammed Zaid Sami, and Nicodemus Mwania Mwange between July 22 and July 23, 2022, in Nairobi County.
The case, prosecuted by Jalson Makori and Harrison Kiarie, is scheduled for further proceedings on June 20, 2024.
