Explained: The 25-Year Land Dispute Linked to Victoria Mutiso Murder Case

The fatal shooting of clinical psychologist Dr. Victoria Mutiso has brought attention to a decades-long legal battle over a prime parcel of land in Athi River, with court records showing a history of matrimonial and property disputes involving her husband, Prof. David Musyimi Ndetei, and his former wife, Rose Mbithe Mulwa.

According to court documents and police filings, the dispute dates back to the couple’s divorce in 2001 and subsequent litigation over the division of matrimonial property, including land known as L.R. No. 1504/13 in Machakos County. The property has been the subject of multiple civil suits over the past two decades.

The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) is investigating the July 29 killing of Dr. Mutiso. Investigators have also cited the September 2025 killing of lawyer Mathew Kyalo Mbobu, who previously represented Prof. Ndetei in the property dispute, as part of their line of inquiry, according to court documents filed in the case.

Prof. Ndetei, a Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Nairobi and the founding director of the Africa Institute of Mental and Brain Health, is regarded as one of Africa’s leading mental health experts.

His first marriage to businesswoman and former Machakos gubernatorial candidate Rose Mbithe Mulwa ended in divorce in 2001 after 31 years.

5-Year Land Battle at the Center of the Case

Court records indicate that following the divorce, Mulwa filed a suit in 2002 under the Married Women’s Property Act seeking a share of the family’s assets, including a parcel of land identified as L.R. No. 1504/13 in Athi River, Machakos County.

The land, measuring more than 20 acres, has appreciated significantly in value over the years because of its proximity to Nairobi and the Mombasa Highway.

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According to court records, Mulwa lost the main matrimonial property case, but the dispute over the land continued through a series of civil suits, appeals and commercial disputes spanning more than two decades.

The property was also the subject of separate litigation involving financial institutions and environmental claims. In one of the cases, Prof. Ndetei successfully sued Orbit Chemical Industries over alleged environmental damage to the property and was awarded damages by the court.

During the matrimonial property proceedings, the late advocate Mathew Kyalo Mbobu represented Prof. Ndetei. Court documents show that part of the disputed land was at one point transferred into Mbobu’s name, a move that Mulwa challenged, alleging it was intended to defeat her claim to the property. Mbobu denied the allegations and later sued Mulwa for defamation after she publicly questioned his conduct.

Following subsequent court proceedings, ownership records were later restored to Prof. Ndetei and his second wife, Dr. Victoria Mutiso.

Two High-Profile Killings, One Ongoing Investigation

Mbobu was fatally shot along Magadi Road in Nairobi on September 9, 2025, in what investigators described as a targeted attack.

Police said armed assailants riding on a motorcycle opened fire on his vehicle before fleeing. No valuables were reported stolen, prompting investigators to pursue multiple possible motives, including those linked to his legal work.

Following her marriage to Prof. Ndetei, Dr. Mutiso became involved in the ongoing civil disputes surrounding the Athi River property after she was named in fresh legal proceedings seeking to reclaim an interest in the land.

The dispute escalated on February 12, 2026, when individuals accompanied by police officers allegedly entered the family’s property in Mlolongo to enforce an eviction order issued by a court in Machakos.

According to complaints later filed with the police, buildings on the property were demolished and several personal belongings damaged or removed during the operation.

Dr. Mutiso also alleged that she and her husband were threatened during the incident and that several vehicles disappeared from the property.

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She further claimed attempts to report the matter immediately at Mlolongo Police Station were unsuccessful before an official police entry was eventually recorded months later.

On July 29, 2026, Dr. Mutiso was shot dead while travelling in a taxi in Nairobi’s Upper Hill area. According to investigators, gunmen riding on a motorcycle opened fire after another vehicle allegedly blocked the taxi in traffic before fleeing the scene. Police recovered ballistic evidence and launched a homicide investigation.

DCI Probe, Digital Evidence and Arrests

In court filings presented after the killing, the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) said detectives were examining whether there was any connection between Dr. Mutiso’s death and the earlier killing of advocate Mbobu, citing the long-running property dispute as one of the lines of inquiry.

Investigators further told the court that forensic examinations, CCTV footage and digital evidence formed part of the ongoing investigation.

The DCI also informed the court that it had recovered electronic devices and vehicles during searches conducted as part of the probe.

Rose Mbithe Mulwa and her son, Chris Mulwa, were arrested on July 30, 2026, and later presented before the Milimani Law Courts.

Investigators applied to detain the two for 30 days, arguing they required additional time to analyse electronic devices, recover communication records and pursue other suspects believed to be connected to the investigation.

The prosecution alleged that releasing the suspects at that stage could interfere with investigations, including the preservation of digital evidence and efforts to trace individuals believed to have carried out the shooting.

The suspects have not been convicted of any offence, and the allegations against them remain before the court.

As investigations continue, detectives are seeking to establish whether the fatal shootings of Mbobu and Dr. Mutiso, the prolonged civil litigation over the Athi River property, and other related incidents form part of a wider criminal enterprise or are unrelated events.

The DCI has stated that investigations remain ongoing, with additional forensic analysis, witness interviews and digital examinations expected to guide the next phase of the case.

The court is expected to rule on the prosecution’s application for extended detention as investigators continue to pursue further leads.

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A photo of Rose Mbithe Mulwa apperaing before the court on the ongoing investigation following murder of Victoria Mutiso. Photo /File