NAIROBI, Kenya Aug 10 — Detectives investigating the killing of Dr Victoria Nthunya Mutiso have secured 30 days to keep three suspects in custody as the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) pursues additional leads, witnesses and possible accomplices.The suspects are police officer Elijah Kibelion Kimoi, Daniel Njoroge and Kevin Kinuthia, who were arrested on August 7 following what investigators described as an intelligence-led operation.Milimani Magistrate Paul Mutai allowed the extended detention, citing the risk of interference with investigations and concerns over the safety of the suspects if they were released at this stage.The magistrate noted that Kimoi is a serving police officer and said his position raised additional concerns regarding the possibility of interference with the investigation.“I note that one of the suspect is a serving police officer and if the respondents are released on bond there’s a likelihood that they will interfere with investigations,” Mutai ruled.Investigators have presented a theory of how the three suspects allegedly participated in the events leading to Dr Mutiso’s death.According to an affidavit filed by DCI Homicide Investigations Bureau officer Corporal Romana Odour, preliminary findings point to Kimoi as the person who allegedly fired the fatal shot.The DCI alleges that Njoroge was behind the wheel of a black Toyota Prado, registration KDH 600A, which was allegedly used to block the Toyota Passo KDJ 609D carrying Dr Mutiso.Kinuthia, investigators allege, provided transport using a motorcycle registered KMGZ 980D, ferrying Kimoi to and from the scene.Dr Mutiso was shot on July 29, 2026, while inside her Toyota Passo in Upper Hill, Kilimani Sub-County, Nairobi.The killing was initially recorded at Kibra Police Station before the DCI Homicide Investigations Bureau assumed control of the investigation.The investigation has also turned to forensic evidence recovered after the shooting.Detectives recovered two spent cartridges and two bullet fragments at the scene. The items were submitted for forensic analysis as investigators sought to establish the weapon used in the killing.A Mini Jericho pistol bearing serial number 47302127 was subsequently recovered and examined.The DCI told the court that preliminary ballistic findings had linked the recovered cartridge cases and bullet head to the pistol.Investigators said the firearm had been issued to a senior police officer who is currently at large.The DCI is continuing efforts to locate the officer and establish the circumstances surrounding the firearm’s alleged use in the killing.Detectives are also examining Dr Mutiso’s involvement in a land dispute as they seek to establish the motive behind her killing.The case concerns which is currently the subject of proceedings before a Machakos court.Investigators told the court that the dispute could have been one of the possible motives for the murder.The DCI is also examining whether earlier incidents involving threats against the doctor were connected to her death.According to investigators, Dr Mutiso had reported an alleged attempt on her life weeks before she was killed.On July 7, 2026, she reportedly told police that two armed men on a motorcycle confronted her near Junction Mall along Ngong Road.The men allegedly pointed a firearm at her before she managed to escape.She subsequently reported the incident at Kilimani Police Station under OB Number 63 of July 7.Detectives now allege that Kimoi was one of the two armed men involved in that earlier encounter.The development has become a key line of inquiry as investigators seek to establish whether the reported incident was connected to the subsequent killing.The deceased’s husband is among the people investigators consider crucial to the case.However, the DCI told the court that he has not yet recorded a comprehensive statement because he is still dealing with the trauma caused by his wife’s death.Detectives said his evidence could shed light on alleged threats against Dr Mutiso before her death and help identify individuals suspected of following or monitoring her.The State argued that releasing the suspects could expose the husband and other witnesses to intimidation or interference.The DCI told the court that the investigation is still incomplete, with detectives pursuing several outstanding leads.Among the remaining tasks are the recovery of other firearms suspected to have been used in the murder, forensic examination of CCTV footage and analysis of call-data records.Investigators also want to complete examinations of the vehicles and motorcycle allegedly connected to the incident and record statements from witnesses who have not yet been interviewed.The DCI is further pursuing other suspects believed to have been involved in the killing but who remain at large.Corporal Odour told the court that continued detention of the three suspects was necessary to protect the investigation from interference.The State further argued that their release could allow them to coordinate their accounts, interfere with witnesses, destroy documentary or electronic evidence and frustrate efforts to establish the full circumstances surrounding the murder.Magistrate Mutai subsequently granted the DCI’s request to hold Kimoi, Njoroge and Kinuthia for 30 days while investigations continue.The three suspects are expected to remain in custody as detectives pursue additional evidence and possible accomplices.The case will be mentioned on September 10, 2026, when the DCI is expected to report on the progress of the investigation.The suspects have not been convicted and remain presumed innocent until proven guilty in accordance with the law.