A reported threat three weeks before her death, a decision to abandon her personal car for taxis and a carefully timed attack inside an Uber have emerged as key events in the Directorate of Criminal Investigations’ reconstruction of the killing of Dr Victoria Mutiso.
DCI Director Mohamed Amin said detectives have pieced together the events surrounding the July 29 murder using forensic evidence, CCTV footage, intelligence and information gathered by several investigative teams.
According to Amin who spoke on Friday while addressing the media, the final sequence began on the morning of July 29 when Mutiso booked an Uber ride to her workplace.
The driver picked her up from Tanga Heights along Bamburi Road and began the journey to the Africa Institute of Mental and Brain Health offices at Mawesie Gardens on Tom Mboya Road.
"The journey was, however, cut short when the vehicle reached the Mbagathi area, the driver encountered an obstruction that required him to slow down," Amin said.
The slowing of the vehicle created the moment the attackers needed.
Amin said gunshots were then heard from the rear of the vehicle, where Mutiso was seated. The driver subsequently saw a man armed with a pistol firing towards the back of the car.
Mutiso was shot three times in the attack.
She was rushed to hospital for treatment but was pronounced dead shortly afterwards.
The shooting was reported at Kilimani Police Station, with officers from the local police command responding to the scene and the hospital.
The initial investigation was conducted by officers from the local command before the DCI Homicide Investigations Bureau took over the case on the same day.
The homicide team was supported by forensic specialists from the National Police Service Forensic Laboratory as detectives began examining the evidence and retracing the movements of those involved.
Two spent cartridges were recovered from the scene, while a third was recovered during the post-mortem examination.
The ballistic evidence was later submitted to the National Police Service Forensic Laboratory for analysis as detectives sought to establish the weapon used in the killing.
At the same time, investigators began an extensive review of CCTV footage and intelligence-led operations to identify the people involved and establish how the attack was planned and carried out.
Amin said the investigations quickly generated leads that directed detectives towards key suspects.
He said the DCI had responded to what he described as a professionally executed killing with a wide-ranging investigation involving forensic experts, intelligence teams and detectives from different units.
The probe has also turned to events that took place before Mutiso was killed, particularly a property dispute involving her family.
Detectives have been examining incidents linked to the dispute, including an eviction and demolition that took place in February at property associated with Mutiso.
Investigators are also looking into a report Mutiso made on July 7, when she told police that she had been followed and threatened by men riding a motorcycle.
Following the reported incident, detectives have established that Mutiso stopped using her personal vehicle and instead started travelling by taxi.
The July 29 shooting therefore came about three weeks after the reported threat.
The investigation has since widened, with several suspects arrested as detectives work to establish the full chain of events and determine the role each suspect is alleged to have played.
Among those arrested is a police officer.
Detectives have also recovered a pistol, a motorcycle and a Toyota Prado which they believe could be linked to the investigation.
The recovery of the items has added to the evidence being examined as detectives seek to establish how the attack was organised, who was involved and what happened before and during the shooting.
Amin said the investigation remains active, with detectives pursuing additional leads as they work to establish the circumstances surrounding Mutiso's death.
He described the killing as a grave loss, highlighting Mutiso's contribution to mental health work and her service as former director of the African Institute of Mental Health.