Muriuki attack suspect Brian Shem Owino surrenders to police

Former NCBDA chairperson Timothy Muriuki is attacked by hired goons outside Boulevard Hotel Nairobi.  [Willis Awandu/Standard].

One of the men wanted for assaulting and robbing a Nairobi businessman Timothy Muriuki has surrendered to police.

Brian Shem Owino surrendered to police at Nairobi Area DCI hours after he and his accomplices lost a bid to stop their arrest.

He was taken in for questioning and possible prosecution. Nairobi DCI Nicholas Kamwende and his lawyer Edwin Sifuna confirmed Owino's surrender.

“The rest will also surrender soon,” said their lawyer Michael Osundwa.

Owino and his four accomplices had moved to court seeking protection.

Also wanted are: Dishon Mulinge,  Ronald Otieno, Michael Mbanya Wathigo and  Hussein Suleiman.

They were captured on camera manhandling the former Nairobi Central Business District Association (NCBDA) chairman at Hotel Boulevard on April 30.

They had on Monday moved to court saying their personal security was at risk and that they could be eliminated by the police or deported to an unknown destination on the fake grounds they are not Kenyans and sought anticipatory orders pending their arraignment.

But the court declined to issue the orders and ordered them to appear before police for processing.

They said they were ready and willing to surrender to the police but were apprehensive of their personal security and that their anticipated charges were defective, had no basis in law and  were unconstitutional and unsustainable.

On Wednesday, East Africa Legislative Assembly member Simon Mbugua and two other suspects were arrested and charged at Milimani Law Courts with robbery with violence in relation to the attack.

They denied the charges and were each released on Sh200,000 bail by Senior Principal Magistrate Martha Mutuku.

Police said they had every reason to believe that three of them — Mbugua,  Anthony Otieno Ombok alias Jamal and Benjamin Odhiambo Onyango Alias Odhis — were involved in the attack.

 “On the April 30, 2018, at 11am at Hotel Boulevard in Nairobi, jointly with others not before court, they robbed Timothy Muceru Muriuki of Sh100,000 and injured him,” said part of a charge sheet.

Police had offered a Sh500,000 bounty to anyone who could provide information leading to the arrest of any of the five wanted men.

Muriuki was addressing journalists at the Hotel Boulevard on April 30 when goons stormed in and tore his statement before frog-marching him outside the compound and beating him up.

Whereas the attackers thought Muriuki was criticising Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko, he was actually praising him and calling for patience to allow the governor deliver his promises.

Muriuki who was flanked by two other men had called the meeting to brief reporters about the state of affairs in Nairobi County and how they could be fixed.

No sooner had Muriuki started reading his press statement than a gang descended on him at the swimming pool area..

One of the goons started blaming Muriuki for allegedly criticising Sonko and it is then the rest joined in.

Muriuki complained to police he had lost Sh100,000 in the drama.