Naivasha Law Courts has charged a seventy-two-year-old man for planning to murder his wife and four children over the ownership of a prime parcel of land.
The court heard that a farmer and his daughter based in the US hired two hitmen and agreed on a Kes 2 million fee to eliminate the wife, three sons, and a daughter.
However, the killers, after pocketing Kes 1.7m, approached the victims and revealed the murder plan before police were called in and arrested the suspect and his accomplice.
In the case, the main suspect, Antony Muya, is charged together with his friend Charles Muraya with a conspiracy to murder.
The two are charged with conspiring to murder his estranged wife, Rose Njeri Muya, on various dates between March 1st and May 2nd, 2024, along with others who are not in court.
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The two, who appeared before Naivasha Principal Magistrate Wilson Rading, were also charged with planning to murder Antony Mwaura, Martin Muya, Alex Muya, and Oprah Muya.
According to Citizen Digital, the court has already issued an arrest warrant for two more suspects, both of whom are based in the United States, and allegedly sponsored the planned elimination of the five.
The State Counsel, Lilian Mogoi, told the court that they sought to arrest more suspects over the case but planned to turn the second accused into a State witness.
She told the court that after reviewing Muraya's statements, the state had decided to make him a state witness.
The victims, through their lawyer, Mbugua Macharia, however, objected to this, noting that the second accused played a critical role in the planned murders.
The suspects’ lawyer, Edwin Njagi, however, termed the charges as trumped up after the main suspect parted ways with his wife over 20 years ago.
He said the whole issue revolves around the ownership of a parcel of land and they shall prove to the court that the accused have been set up.
In this case, Muya, with the help of his daughter and son-in-law based in the US, hired the killers to help get rid of the family members so that they could take over the prime plot in Molo town.
According to court documents, the plan began on March 1st, when Muya and his daughter allegedly met the two killers at a hotel in Nakuru.
The hearing continues on October 14th.
