Governor Kawrira Mwangaza’s brother Murangiri Kenneth Guantai is set to face trial for the murder of Meru blogger Daniel Muthiani, who was popularly known as Sniper.

This is after the office of  DPP sustained murder charges against two of the six suspects in the case.

In a statement released by the Office of the Director of Prosecutions on Thursday night, the prosecution noted that the department had received files from the Director of Criminal Investigations for inquiry and advice regarding the case.

The office, upon thorough analysis of the facts presented in the documents concluded there was enough evidence to press charges on Vincent Murithi Karimi alias Supuu and Guantai alias Tali.

“Upon thorough analysis of the facts, the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) is satisfied that there is sufficient evidence to sustain the charge of murder against Vincent Mureithi Kirimi alias Supuu and Murangiri Kenneth Guantai alias Tali.

”Consequently, the DPP has directed that Vincent Mureithi Kirimi and Murangiri Kenneth Guantai be arraigned before the High Court at Kiambu for the offence of Murder contrary to Section 203 as read with Section 204 of the Penal Code forthwith,” ODPP said.

Guantai is not only the governor’s brother but also serves as a police officer and as Mwangaza’s bodyguard.

“The house of the governor is one of many places we are visiting in the process of collecting what is relevant to the matter we are investigating,” said Lenny Kisaka DCI coordinator upper Eastern added.

The Meru blogger disappeared on December 2,2023 before his body was discovered in a thicket on the banks of River Mutonga in Tharaka Nithi county on December 16. The chief government Pathologist Johansen Oduor, who conducted the postmortem on December 22, said the deceased was tortured before being strangled.

According to the documents from the DCI, the accused persons contacted the Meru blogger, assuring him of a meeting with Mwangaza to discuss a truce. The department further claimed that evidence showed that sniper had travelled from his home in Igembe South to Meru town to meet the suspects before he was reported missing.

Daniel Muthiani, alias Snipper who is widely known for his political opinions, was found dead on Sunday, December 17, 2023, under mysterious circumstances after missing for over three weeks.