A Nairobi court has allowed detectives to hold a police inspector for 14 days as they investigate his alleged role in two killings that shocked the capital: the shooting of Dr Victoria Mutiso in July this year and the murder of advocate Mathew Kyalo Mbobu in September 2025.

Milimani Magistrate Paul Mutai on Monday, 26 October 2026, granted an application by the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) and the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions to keep Inspector Kenneth Kipkemboi Sang in custody at Kilimani Police Station while investigations continue. Sang has not been charged, and the allegations against him have not been tested in court.

Arrested in Eldoret

According to court papers cited by The Standard and Citizen Digital, Sang was arrested on Saturday, 24 October, in what police described as an intelligence-led operation in Eldoret, Uasin Gishu County. He was moved to Nairobi the following day.

Detectives told the court that the officer deserted his workstation after Dr Mutiso was killed and went into hiding, which they said made him a flight risk. They also argued that other people suspected of taking part in the killings are still at large, raising the risk of collusion and interference with evidence if he were released.

Ballistics evidence

Dr Mutiso, a clinical psychologist and mental health researcher, was shot dead on 29 July 2026 in Upper Hill, Nairobi, by gunmen on a motorcycle while she was inside a vehicle. Investigators recovered two spent cartridges and two bullet fragments at the scene and sent them for forensic examination.

The investigating officer told the court that a Mini Jericho pistol was later recovered and that ballistic tests linked it to the cartridges and fragments. The pistol, the officer said, had been issued to Sang.

“Investigations have since established that the said firearm had been issued to the respondent,” the detective stated in an affidavit quoted by The Standard.

The affidavit described Sang as a suspect “amongst the masterminds of the heinous act”.

Court documents also revisit an earlier scare. On 7 July 2026, about three weeks before she was killed, Dr Mutiso reported that two armed men on a motorcycle had confronted her near Junction Mall on Ngong Road and pointed a gun at her. She escaped and reported the incident at Kilimani Police Station. Detectives say the inspector may have been among those who planned that attempt.

Link to Mbobu killing

Investigators further allege that Sang played a key role in planning the murder of Mbobu, a well-known Nairobi advocate who was shot dead on 9 September 2025. Several suspects are already facing murder charges over that killing before the High Court, and detectives say they intend to charge the inspector alongside them.

Reports indicate that suspects in Dr Mutiso's murder have likewise been charged before the High Court at Milimani, and that Sang is expected to join them once investigations are complete.

Mental assessment requested

Police told the court they needed the extra time to interrogate the officer, record his statement, carry out searches, pursue possible recoveries and complete inquiries. They also asked that he undergo a mental assessment before taking a plea.

Sang's lawyer did not oppose the detention request but asked the court to limit it to seven days. Magistrate Mutai rejected the shorter period, saying the investigative steps outlined by police were serious and needed adequate time. The matter will return to court in November for further directions.

The arrest of a serving officer over the two killings is likely to renew scrutiny of how police firearms are issued and tracked, and of the safety of professionals who have reported threats to the police before being attacked.

Photos: Citizen Digital, The Standard