Detectives investigating the brutal killing of Julius Ndumia Ngari have revealed that a stolen mobile phone played a key role in tracking down suspects linked to the crime.
According to officers from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations, the breakthrough came after one of the phones stolen during the attack was switched on days after the murder, creating a digital trace that investigators were able to follow.
The clergyman was killed on May 3, 2026, during a violent attack at the Presbyterian Church of East Africa Tabuga Parish compound in Lanet, Nakuru County.
Investigators say the attackers also injured a security guard before breaking into the church offices and the reverend’s residence, where they stole cash, mobile phones, and other valuables.
A multi-agency team drawn from the DCI Homicide Unit, Crime Research and Intelligence Bureau, and Operations Support Unit worked jointly with police officers from Nakuru North to piece together forensic leads.
The key breakthrough came when the stolen device was reactivated, allowing detectives to track its movement across multiple locations within Nakuru County.
This digital trail helped investigators narrow down suspects, eventually leading to the arrest of one individual and subsequently a second suspect as the probe expanded.
Authorities confirmed that the arrested suspects were not members of the church or its leadership, suggesting the attack was carried out by external assailants.
The security guard, Bernard Nyamwaka, who was also assaulted during the incident, was later treated at Nakuru Teaching and Referral Hospital and placed under witness protection due to the sensitivity of the case.
Postmortem findings indicated that Reverend Ndumia died from a combination of suffocation, head trauma, and severe blood loss caused by blunt force injuries.
Investigators have described the killing as a violent and senseless act, assuring the public that all individuals involved will be identified and prosecuted.
The DCI has also indicated that additional forensic evidence is still being analyzed, with suspicions that the suspects may be part of a wider criminal network operating in the region.
The case continues to draw national attention as detectives work to fully reconstruct the events leading up to the murder and establish the motive behind the attack.
