Main suspect claims innocence over Mirema killing

A man accused to be behind the killing of a suspected notorious criminal in broad daylight has surrendered to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) in Nairobi. Dennis Karani Gachoki is considered the main suspect in the execution of Samuel Mugota which happened at Mirema, a Nairobi suburb, and was captured on CCTV camera. The deceased was accused of getting involved in a number of criminal activities including drugging revellers at pubs and stealing from unsuspecting persons withdrawing cash at ATM machines. Gachoki accused by DCI sleuths of ending the life of Mr Mugota along Nairobi's Mirema Drive. He was immediately put on police radar and his images were circulated by detectives who asked members of the public to give information about his whereabouts. A sleuth privy to the matter told Nairobi News that Mr Karani accepted that he had met the deceased twice but he was being framed to have ended his life. “He also confirms that he has an ongoing case in court in which he is accused of receiving money believed to have acquired money through fraud,” the detective who spoke in confidence said. Mr Karani told the police that he had only met the deceased twice in Nairobi and Meru. In a post on DCI official Facebook account, Mr Karani used a firearm that was stolen from an intoxicated officer at a club located in Mombasa to end Mr Mugota's life. The firearm was stolen from the officer in November 2020. Detectives had initially said that Mr Karani had fled the country after his phone signal disappeared around Burnt Forest area in Uasin Gishu. However, Mr Karani said that at the time the man was being killed he was in Nakuru County. According to the DCI Mr Karani worked in cohorts with the deceased in the ‘Mchele gang' but it was hard to nab him. However, he could go ahead and differ with the deceased which prompted him to end his life. They differed because of ladies in the business and money that they had been collecting from members of the public. The DCI said that the suspect has always managed to avoid arrests since he is well connected and gets tips from the police whenever he is being tracked down. “In one occasion, Mr Karani accomplices texted him just minutes before his arrest, throwing a spanner in the works of a meticulous operation that had taken months to put together,” the DCI said. The murdered man left behind grieving widows and countless children.