In Kenya, court keeps murder suspect in custody — Nation Kenya

A court in Kenya has allowed Nelson Ambia to remain in custody for 14 days as part of an investigation into the alleged murder of his girlfriend, Feruz Hussein. During this time, investigators must complete the investigation, and the state must decide whether to charge the man with murder, Nation Kenya reports.

Investigators’ version

Investigator Amos Menza told the court that police believe Feruz Hussein may have died as a result of strangulation. Law enforcement officers are also checking claims that Ambia allegedly sent the deceased woman’s mother and sister a video showing her body. In the recording in question, a male voice can be heard saying in Swahili: «pumzika kwa amani» — «rest in peace».

According to Menza, after the incident the suspect allegedly travelled to Naivasha. He was detained after 21 days of searching. The prosecution objected to the man’s release on bail, citing that he has no known permanent place of residence in Nairobi and may be unavailable to investigators.

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Court decision

Magistrate Joan Mati agreed that the prosecution had provided sufficient grounds for keeping Ambia in custody. She noted that the alleged trip to Naivasha was grounds for denying bail and instructed Kenya’s Directorate of Criminal Investigations to establish the origin of the video circulating on social media.

The court also ordered police to verify the suspect’s statements that he was allegedly attacked three times by a group of men who inflicted serious injuries on him. Law enforcement officers must question witnesses, and Ambia will be sent for a mental assessment to determine his fitness to stand trial. The next hearing in the case was scheduled for November 5, 2026.