Girlfriend of a German tourist who was killed in Malindi hotel detained

By Charo Banda

Detectives on Monday obtained orders from a Malindi court to detain two suspects linked to the murder of a German tourist for 14 days.

Police sought to detain the two to conclude investigations into the murder of 78-year-old Detering Herman who was found dead in his hotel room at Moriema Cottages last week.

The detectives filed the application before Malindi Chief Magistrate William Chepseba requesting to hold 32-year-old Mary Mwikali Kavuu, an alleged girlfriend of the deceased, and Kenson Mutiso at the Malindi Police Station.

In a sworn affidavit signed by detective Vincent Langat who is attached to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations headquarters in Nairobi, police said that the respondents were arrested on January 3, in Diani town and taken to the Malindi Police Station.

Langat told the court in chambers that the two were being investigated for the offense of murder.

''On January 28, 2020, about 1830 hours or thereabout, the manager of Moriema Cottages went to room number 117 where the deceased herein had been residing since December 4, 2019, after his room remained locked the entire day which was unusual,'' he said in his affidavit.

Langat told the court that the manager knocked on the door and there was no response, forcing him to peep through the window from where he saw blood on the mattress which had no bedsheet cover.

He said police were informed and upon visiting the scene found the deceased lying in a pool of blood with several deep cuts on the body.

The detective told the court that investigations started immediately and it was established that Kavuu was seen with the deceased person on January 27, at the cottage veranda where the German national was residing and she later left the cottage on January 28, at about 0630 hours to Diani, Kwale.

''Immediately after the incident, the first respondent switched off her phone after calling the second respondent, Mutiso, and thereafter switched on the phone while in Diani,'' said the detective.

Langat said during the arrest, police recovered several mobile phones and sim cards some suspected to belong to the deceased together with clothes worn by Kavuu when the incident occurred.

The detective said the mobile phones, sim cards and clothes have not yet been examined by forensic analysts.

He said that they were yet to conduct a search in areas where the respondents are suspected to have moved through after the incident with the aim of recovering the deceased property.

''Based on the issues raised herein and the active leads being followed by the team of investigators, makes the respondents a flight risk and thus pray the honorable court to order the respondents to remain in custody for a period of 14 days pending the conclusion of investigations,'' he asked the court.

He asked the court to order the two to be detained at Malindi Police station or any other police station where the investigations may lead.

''It is in the interest of justice and within the discretion of this honorable court to grant the orders sought,'' he said. The magistrate granted the police their request to detain the two pending completion of investigations.