In my previous post, I highlighted the arrest of several criminals linked to a spate of robbery with violence incidents across Nairobi, Kiambu, Kajiado, Nakuru, Nyeri and Murang’a counties. In a well-coordinated operation, officers from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations - DCI have now nabbed two of the main ring leaders believed to be behind the killings of at least six watchmen who were guarding liquor marts and bars.
Frame 1: Elisha Gatitu Njeri
Those who frequent joints around Ruiru, the Eastern Bypass, Juja and Thika Road will easily recognize this face. On the surface, Elisha presents himself as a shrewd electronics businessman. Behind that carefully crafted façade, however, investigators describe a seasoned criminal operative who allegedly handles the distribution and disposal of stolen beer and liquor looted from wines and spirits outlets.
According to reliable sources familiar with the investigations, Elisha serves as the critical link between the break-in crews and rogue bar owners who knowingly purchase stolen alcohol worth millions of shillings at throwaway prices.
He is often spotted frequenting a popular Mugithi club in Ruiru, a joint that also runs a subsidiary in Kenol. When he is not mingling with the Ruiru “big boys,” Elisha reportedly operates electronics shops in Githurai near Small Villa and Kahawa West, businesses investigators now believe may have served as convenient fronts.
From a distance, he appears calm, ordinary, even harmless. But investigators say beneath that quiet exterior lies an enabler of a highly organised criminal syndicate that has left a deadly trail and cost Kenyan businesses tens of millions of shillings in losses.
Frame 2: Peter Muhia Njenga
If the name rings a bell, your memory is serving you well.
Peter Muhia Njenga previously ran a popular butchery along the Eastern Bypass, a spot known for selling large quantities of meat at suspiciously low prices. His operations came under scrutiny after police established links between his business and rampant cattle theft in Kajiado County — a case that was widely reported in the media at the time.
Muhia disappeared shortly after the investigations intensified and had been on the run since then.
But according to investigators, cattle theft was only a fraction of his alleged criminal enterprise.
Detectives describe him as extremely dangerous and directly implicated in multiple violent robberies targeting wines and spirits shops. Whenever the gang encountered resistance from watchmen during raids, Muhia was allegedly the man who carried out the most brutal acts of violence.
The DCI has since linked him to several murder scenes during the course of the investigation, ultimately leading to his arrest.
Both suspects are now jointly charged with robbery with violence and are currently being held at Kikuyu Police Station as investigations continue.
What is emerging from this case is the disturbing anatomy of an organised criminal network — one that thrived on stolen alcohol, compromised businesses and ruthless violence against innocent watchmen simply trying to earn an honest living.
More details are expected to emerge as detectives continue to dismantle the wider syndicate.
