The Director of Public Prosecutions has requested a court to accept a statement allegedly made by Peter Ngugi Kamau, a police informant, in connection with the 2016 murder of human rights lawyer Willy Kimani and two others.
Deputy DPP Nicholas Mutuku, representing DPP Noordin Haji, argued before Justice Jessie Lesiit that Ngugi's 21-page confession, recorded at DCI headquarters on August 9, 2016, was voluntarily given. He refuted claims that Ngugi lacked English comprehension, noting the defendant never raised this issue during his initial court appearance.
Mutuku highlighted that Ngugi failed to report alleged torture to medical examiners or identify the specific offices where he claimed to have been assaulted. The prosecutor contended that Ngugi's allegations of abuse emerged only after he testified about a financial dispute with police over informer payments.
Ngugi's defense lawyer, Neilias Kinyori, challenged the confession's admissibility, citing her client's assertion that he was beaten by officers and rescued by a man named Clement Mwangi. She argued Ngugi's brother, John Mburu—a class three dropout—was given a pre-recorded statement to sign and that her client was promised Sh30,000 monthly for cooperation.
The prosecution maintains the statement is critical evidence in the case against four police officers charged with the killings. The victims, Kimani, Josephat Mwenda, and Joseph Muiruri, were kidnapped June 23, 2016, and their bodies discovered a week later in Athi River, stuffed in gunny bags.
The court will decide on April 4 whether to admit the confession.
