Four held over kidnap, murder of trader

Suspects arrested in the connection to killing of Indian businessman Jayesh Kumar

On February 14, this year, businessman Jayesh Kumar Kanji was seen with his wife and child walking along Kodi Road in Nairobi West.

Kumar is said to have been 'picked' by one Kaylan Verkariya Kaylan Shivji who was driving a Toyota Prado and proceeded to Machakos County. This was the last time he was seen.

The following day, his brothers - Hetish Kumar and Dipak Valji - went to Lang'ata Police Station to report a missing person after Kumar failed to show up that evening.

They told the police that on February 14, their brother was to go to work at Sigma Feeds Rongai but did not and he did not show up at his home in the evening.

His mobile phone was also switched off.

Miles away from the station, at Lukenya Conservancy, security guards who were on a normal patrol saw blood along a footpath. This led them to a thicket where they found a checked shirt with blood stains, a shoe, underwear, metal rod and pieces of bones of an unknown person.

They alerted Kyumbi Directorate of Criminal Investigation (DCI) officers who collected the bones and documented the matter as an incident of an unknown person who had been eaten by wild animals.

The officers also collected the items, the bones and the metal rod.

At Lang'ata, their counterparts formed a team to probe the circumstances under which Kumar went missing.

Their counterparts at Lang'ata decided to triangulate Kumar's calls. This led them to Mbithi Munguti Mulandi whom they arrested at Athi River Tuff Foam area.

Lead investigator Violet Kyalayi told Kibera magistrate's court that Munguti spilled beans that Verkariya allegedly kidnapped Kumar at Shell Petrol Station along Lang'ata Road on February 14.

It was alleged that Kumar was first hit on the head before being killed. The police painted a macabre murder plot that allegedly involved two hitmen who were waiting deep in the conservancy.

"The first respondent stated that they drove to Lukenya Conservancy where they murdered Jayesh Kumar Kanji Velji, doused his body with a certain acid and dumped it there. The first respondent led the investigations team to a remote area within Lukenya Conservancy where he alleged to have dumped the body," said Kyalayi.

The other kidnappers, according to Kyalayi, were Gideon Muasa Nthale and Stephen Mweu Musembi.

It followed that Verkariya was arrested at Swaminarayan Temple Flats.

Impounded vehicle

The investigators also impounded the vehicle claimed to have been used.

In the meantime, Muasa was arrested in Tala while Mweu was arrested at Gatitu in Mwala, Machakos County.

In court, the police argued that the four were a flight risk as they now know that they will likely be charged with murder. At the same time, investigators argued that they needed time to ascertain that the parts they had collected belonged to Kumar.

The court allowed the police to hold the four for 21 days.