Gatundu South MP to face murder charges for fatal shooting of rider during Thika fracas

Detectives have launched a manhunt for Gatundu South Member of Parliament Gabriel Kagombe who is linked with the fatal shooting of a boda boda rider in Thika two weeks ago.

The MP who is reportedly hiding, is wanted for plea-taking after the Office of the Director of Public Prosecution approved murder charges against him in connection with the fatal shooting of 26-year-old David Nduati who was shot in the chest.

During the incident, 46-year-old Anthony Kamau also sustained serious injuries after a bullet lodged in his left arm. Equally, area Assistant County Commissioner Philomena Nzioki sustained an injury but was treated at Avenue Hospital in Thika and later discharged.

On Friday, detectives at the Directorate of Criminal Investigation headquarters said they were looking for the MP to process him for plea-taking in connection with the shooting that occurred when two rival camps clashed over the ownership of a proposed Sh50 million market at Kiganjo area of Thika, Kiambu County on May 17.

Sources said the detectives will apply for his warrant of arrest at the High Court.

The incident happened when supporters of the area MP Alice Ng'ang'a and those of Kamenu MCA Peter Mburu clashed over ownership of a soon-to-be-constructed market in the Kiganjo area.

The MCA had visited the contested market area accompanied by locals a day earlier and started subdividing it into stalls ahead of the scheduled construction saying Kiambu Governor Kimani Wamatangi had set aside Sh50 million for the market.

The exercise went on till the following day when the area MP showed up with a bulldozer accompanied by National Assembly Majority Leader Kimani Ichung'wah (Kikuyu), Gabriel Kagombe (Gatundu South), Elijah Njoroge (Gatundu North), Ngoliba Ward MCA Joachim Njama and Mwiki MCA to "launch" the market.

What followed was a fierce confrontation between the MP's supporters and locals.

"The actual confrontation started when the MP and her supporters began erecting a signpost indicating that the market area where the MCA's supporters were already doing preliminary structures."

"The MCA's group began pelting stones at the MP and her entourage. The MP's group retreated when the police began tackling the group with teargas. During the melee, Gatundu South MP shot indiscriminately towards the MCA's group," a police report on the incident notes in part.

Detectives recovered a spent cartridge from the scene, the bullet head in the deceased man's body and the one lodged in the arm of the second victim for use in establishing the firearm that caused the death and injuries.

The area MCA accused the area MP, Ms Ng'ang'a of meddling in county projects as the area MP insisted that the market was a national government project that the governor was attempting to take credit for.

After the incident, locals staged protests demanding action on those responsible for the shooting.

Kiambu governor Kimani Wamatangi has also called on security agencies to take stern action on the shooters.

"For the record, the national government has not allocated any market to the Kiganjo area, the one in contention is being built by the County Government. Those that were allocated by the national government were to be built elsewhere in Kiandutu, Goliba and Gatuanyaga areas," the governor said later as he called for the arrest of Gatundu South MP.

Police are yet to disclose whether the MP who was captured on a viral video shooting in the air had recovered his license after it was allegedly previously withdrawn following one of his earlier two-times gun incidents.

Other MPs who have since been questioned by homicide detectives who are probing a case of murder and assault causing actual bodily harm include; Gatundu North MP Elijah Njoroge and his Thika Town counterpart Ms Ng'ang'a.

The leaders, their bodyguards and police officers who responded to the fracas were asked to surrender their firearms for ballistic tests.

The Gatundu South MP is however yet to be questioned. He had earlier told detectives that he was getting treated in hospital for bruises sustained in the fracas.

"It is extremely sad that an elected governor can use an MCA to send goons to attack MPs on duty to bring development to the people of Kiambu. It is even worse that I and other residents were injured in the ensuing altercation," the MP tweeted as he shared a picture of himself in hospital after the incident.