Daniel Ndutire: Dreaded man who was shot dead on Thika Road after disregarding several arrest warrants

For almost five years, Daniel Gucoma Ndutire who was on Monday afternoon shot dead in Juja operated freely despite the fact that a warrant of arrest had been issued against him for jumping bail in a robbery case.

But even as the authorities sought him, he is said to have been involved in a number of robberies within Nairobi and its environs and even beyond.

K24 Digital has traced all his court cases and is hereby reporting with all the documents on its Investigations Desk.

In one of the cases in March 2017, he was among the six suspects who were involved in a failed bank robbery in Eldoret town after they disarmed police officers guarding a bank.

The robbers raided Supreme Equity Bank at Poa Place in Eldoret and disarmed police officers on guard duties of their AK47 rifles. They however got wind that the area had been surrounded by the police to arrest them, and they escaped before committing any robbery at the bank.

Immediately police gave chase and arrested three suspects at Cheptiret market along Eldoret-Nakuru Highway and recovered the three guns and a Toyota Harrier with a fake number plate that had been used during the robbery.

In another robbery case which was terminated by Makadara Law Courts after they absconded court, Gucoma and Stephen Kamau Mungai had been accused of robbing Patrick Kariuki Nduati of his lorry and 300 gas cylinders on June 14, 2014 at Sunton in Mwiki, Nairobi County.

They were arrested and charged at the Makadara Law Courts for the robbery with court records indicating that they also robbed him of ksh117,000 and two mobile phones.

They were later released on bail of ksh500,000. However, after a few court appearances, they jumped bail and the court issued several warrants of arrest. At one point, one of their sureties was arrested.

After police failed to arrest them, the then Makadara Chief Magistrate Evelyne Olwande on August 16, 2016 withdrew the case, CR 2938/14, pending execution of warrant of arrest. He was never arrested but continued with his activities unabated.

The slain businessman also had a pending case before Milimani Magistrate Court, case number MCCR/379/2019. His last appearance in court was September 21, 2020 when he appeared before Hon Keneth Cheruiyot, SPM Court 7.

Gucoma had also been charged with robbery with violence together with his mother Mary Wanjiku Nditure and his wife Susan Wangare Njoroge in 2015.

Police said on July 15 2015 Gucoma and other men, all dressed in police uniform, blocked a lorry registration number KBV400K loaded with laptops, clothes and mobile phones worth ksh60 million.

August 6 the same year, some of the stolen goods worth over ksh3 million were recovered in Ritho village in Kiambu, at the residence of Gucoma. It was during that raid that his wife and mother were arrested and charged in court, file number 1978/2015.

One of his female family members had also in March 2019 been charged with robbery with violence at the Milimani court. Detectives said she carjacked a motorist at gunpoint along Riara Road in Nairobi on June 28, 2017.

The victim, Cyrus Kiogi Mwaura said he was robbed of his Toyota Harrier valued at ksh2.8 million. They were trailing the man closely along Riara road and later stopped him and introduced themselves as police officers.

They then forced him out of the car and drugged him before driving away with the car. The car would later be traced on February 15, 2019 with a new registration number and particulars. She was one of the occupants.

On the day he was shot dead, Gucoma was to meet his wife Wangari at Kamakis near Ruiru. The deceased had earlier at 2.29pm called the wife and asked her to take to him some documents he intended to use in selling a car at Thika. She delayed and the husband, after calling her for the last time at 2.56pm, decided to leave. The wife instead sent him the documents via Whatsapp.

Moments later he was shot dead at Gwa-Kairu near Spuir Mall. He was rushed to Thika Level 5 hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival.

The gunmen were riding on a motorcycle and it is suspected that they were trailing him. He was driving in a white Subaru Forester registration number KDC 010H. They fired a total of 24 rounds of ammunition.

The wife said her husband was involved in selling of motor vehicles and had not expressed any fear for his life.

Other cases before courts include MCCR/688/2019 (The Republic Vs Daniel Gucoma Ndutire), Civil case number CC 244/18 (Susan Waithera Mbugua vs Daniel Gucoma Ndutire), and another case, HCCRREV 1/2020, where he was charged together with his wife, Susan Wangare Njoroge.

Police say they are yet to establish the motive and the identity of the killers. They however said the matter was under investigation.