Three Kenyan nationals wanted over the murder of a doctor in Nairobi are set to be deported from Uganda after the City Hall Magistrate’s court in Kampala convicted them of illegally entering and staying in the country.
The three Kenyans, police constable Bett Kiplangat Collins, businessman Pius Muiru Mbugua and Samuel Karanja Gathoni, pleaded guilty to the immigration offences on Monday and were sentenced to a caution by senior principal grade one magistrate Nicholas Aisu.
The court also ordered their deportation to Kenya, where they are expected to face further investigations and possible prosecution over the murder of Dr Victoria Nthunya Mutiso on July 29, 2026.
Kiplangat is attached to Kikuyu police station and is a resident of Kuresol sub-county in Nakuru, while Mbugua is a businessman from Leri in Kiambu county. Karanja is a resident of Kyanja Heights Apartments in Kira Municipality, Wakiso district.
The trio was charged with unlawful entry and unlawful presence in Uganda, contrary to Section 60(i)(h) and (m) of the Uganda Citizenship and Immigration Act. The court heard that the three entered Uganda through the Busia border in August and later travelled to Kyanja Heights Apartments, where they stayed without valid immigration documents.
The accused pleaded guilty to the charges and were immediately convicted. State Attorney Mercy Yamangusho told the court that illegal entry into Uganda was becoming a concern and asked for a firm sentence to deter other people from committing similar offences.
She also asked the court to order their deportation to Kenya, where they are wanted in connection with the murder investigation. Magistrate Aisu subsequently sentenced the three to a caution and ordered that they be deported to Kenya. During mitigation, Kiplangat asked for leniency, saying he was a first-time offender and a responsible Kenyan citizen.
Mbugua also pleaded for mercy, telling the court that he had visited Uganda several times and was therefore a frequent visitor. Karanja, however, asked the court to grant the prosecution’s request for his deportation so that he could return to Kenya and face the case there.
The arrests followed investigations by Kenya’s Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) into the killing of Dr Mutiso. The DCI says Dr Mutiso was shot dead on July 29, in Nairobi’s Upper Hill area while travelling in an Uber. Investigators allege that a Toyota Land Cruiser Prado, registration number KDH 600A, was used to intercept the Uber before the doctor was shot.
According to the DCI, forensic analysis led detectives to Kyanja Heights Apartments in Kampala, where Kiplangat and Mbugua were arrested with the assistance of the Uganda Police Force. The agency says the two had crossed into Uganda illegally after the murder.
Karanja, who investigators say also uses the alias “lawyer”, was arrested separately in Nairobi while travelling towards Ongata Rongai. According to Citizen Digital, Kenyan investigators allege that Kiplangat was involved in surveillance and acted as co-driver to Daniel Mwangi Njoroge, whom they describe as a key organiser of the operation.
The DCI further alleges that Mbugua was the link between the alleged hit team and the person who hired them. Investigators accuse him of handling payments and facilitating logistics for the group.
The allegations have not been tested in court. The three suspects are expected to be handed over to Kenyan authorities following the deportation order.
The DCI has described the arrests as a breakthrough in the investigation and credited the Uganda Police Force for assisting in tracing and apprehending the suspects in Kampala. The agency has also rejected claims by some political actors that suspects in the case had been arrested and later released or that security officials helped them escape.
The DCI said the claims were false and intended to undermine public confidence in the investigation. The three will return to Kenya, where they are expected to be processed and brought before court over the murder allegations.