Fresh details have emerged following the shocking murder of prominent mental health researcher Dr. Victoria Nthunya Mutiso, revealing that she was just days away from solemnizing her marriage before her life was tragically cut short.
Dr. Mutiso, a mother of two and the second wife of a prominent University of Nairobi Professor of Psychiatry, was reportedly scheduled to officially solemnize her marriage next week in what was expected to be a major personal milestone.
However, those plans were shattered after she was gunned down in a suspected targeted attack.
The fatal shooting occurred at around 9:00 a.m. on Wednesday, July 29, 2026, at the junction of Mbagathi Link Road and Mawenzi Road in Nairobi’s Upper Hill area.
According to preliminary investigations, Dr. Mutiso was travelling in an Uber when a Toyota Prado blocked the vehicle.
Moments later, gunmen riding on a motorcycle approached and opened fire before fleeing the scene.
The Uber driver rushed the critically injured researcher to the Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH) Emergency Centre, where she was pronounced dead on arrival.
The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) has since launched an intensive investigation into the killing and confirmed that two persons of interest are in custody as detectives pursue critical leads.
According to reports, investigators are probing a bitter family property dispute as one of the possible motives behind the suspected contract-style murder.
Detectives are also interrogating family members, including her husband, as they seek to establish the full circumstances surrounding the killing.
Dr. Mutiso served as the Head of Research at the Africa Mental Health Research and Training Foundation (AMHRTF) and was widely respected for her contribution to mental health research in Kenya and beyond.
Her untimely death has left colleagues, friends, and loved ones in mourning, with many calling for swift justice as investigations continue.
