NAIROBI, Kenya, May 20 — Two days ago, a CCTV footage showing the execution of a middle-aged man in Kasarani’s Mirema area emerged igniting debate on the motive behind the dramatic incident.
The debate took a twist on Thursday after the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) issued a statement which appeared to validate the murder while steering clear of the question of a probe to unravel the mystery.
DCI characterized Samuel Muvota, who was killed on broad daylight Monday after an unknown assailant pumped six bullets into him, as a notorious criminal who had been arrested at least thirty times in the past.
The agency indicated that Muvota, who was linked to ATM fraud and other criminalities targeting the banking system, had mastered the art of manipulating police officers and always found his way out of police incarceration whenever he was detained.
A section of Kenyans on social media asked the DCI to provide answers on the circumstances surrounding Muvota’s execution with some expressing opinions that the incident may have involved more intricacies than what was in the public domain.
In a two-part series, titled “INSIDE THE DARK LIFE OF SLAIN THUG SAMUEL MUGOH MUVOTA” the DCI detailed a blow-by-blow account about the past life of slain man whom they accused of running a well-organized criminal enterprise within the city.
The DCI went further to publish supposed images of Muvota executing his criminal activities in different banking institutions around the city.
According to the agency, Muvota began his trade more than a decade ago by stealing from victims at ATMs in various banks before recruiting women who would be tasked with spiking drinks of revelers in high end entertainment spots around the city.
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As a result, the deceased suspect, whom the agency claimed had seven wives at the time of his death, had amassed massive wealth from the proceeds of crime.
“By the time he met his death on Monday after six bullets were pumped into his body by an unknown assailant, Muvota who headed an ATM and SIM swapping syndicate that operated like a mafia criminal organization, was a multi-millionaire with several real estate properties scattered across the city, a fleet of vehicles and 7 wives all living lavishly from proceeds of stupefied patrons in clubs most frequented by revelers,” the agency said.
The DCI went further to say that the slain suspect had recruited over 50 women as part of his criminal gang, which they said had led to the death of some victims and broken others’ marriages.
The agency identified the stupefying drug only as ‘Tamuu’ which they said is administered to patients suffering from mental disorders under normal circumstances.
While a section of Kenyans lauded the killing of Muvota, saying he probably “deserved it” others termed his death an “extra judicial killing” pointing out that the victim deserved his day in court, guilty or otherwise.
While authorities seem to have linked the killing of the victim to a deal gone sour, a section of Kenyans have questioned why the agency has not released any information about the progress in identifying the assailant who killed Muvota or investigations into the incident.
“We have a failed, police force and criminal justice system, As Kenyans we settled for this system where killers fill in the back story of their victims and decide he deserved to be killed. Then the rest of the country claps,” Alex Kiragu, said in a Facebook comment.
“Failed justice system,” Susan Catherine Keter posed.
Others suggested that the security agencies could in fact be behind Muvota’s execution.
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“Just because the dead can’t speak with the information that he’s connected, I see a hand of police in his execution,” another Kenyan, Isaac Mululu said.
His sentiments were echoed by Lawrence Ndambuki who said: “Damage Control tactics-it was an extra judicial killing obviously going by the stories being spread, whether he was a criminal or not is not important, what’s important is that he was executed without being heard first, and this should not happen in a civilized society like ours!”
This incident comes at a time when security agencies in the country have been widely blamed for extrajudicial killings.
On April 28, Missing Voices, a consortium of fifteen civil society organizations released a report stating that the human rights bodies had documented 219 cases of police killings and enforced disappearances in 2021 alone.
“Out of these, 187 cases were of police killings, and 32 of enforced disappearances. Of the 32 cases of enforced disappearances, two of the victims were later found alive after campaigns by civil society organizations,” Missing Voices said.
