Three arrested over Murang'a abductions

Police in Murang’a County have arrested three individuals—two women and a man—believed to be behind a recent wave of abductions and violent robberies in the area.

The trio was nabbed on Friday afternoon after officers intercepted a saloon car they were using while traveling through Kangema.

Authorities suspect they were involved in two separate abduction cases targeting women, during which they demanded ransom from the victims’ families.

Murang’a County Police Commander Benjamin Kimwele said the arrests stemmed from a recent incident where a young woman was kidnapped as she waited for public transport at Kabuta, just outside Murang’a town.

The suspects allegedly drove off with the woman toward Kangema but were intercepted before receiving any ransom.

Officers recovered a mobile phone believed to have been used to contact the victim’s relatives and a sum of money suspected to have been taken from another victim.

The victim, Irene Muthoni, recounted that she was approached by the suspects in a black saloon car and offered a ride to Murang’a town.

Once inside, they revealed they were criminals and demanded Sh50,000, threatening to kill her and dump her body in a dam if the money wasn’t sent.

According to Muthoni, the suspects confiscated her phone and began calling her family with ransom demands. Her parents pretended to be heading to an M-Pesa outlet, stalling the transaction.

When the suspects suspected police involvement due to the delay, they released her at Kanorero in Kangema.

Police, who had been tracking Muthoni’s phone, rescued her shortly after and continued pursuing the suspects. They were eventually found shopping for groceries in Kangema town and taken into custody.

Another victim, identified as Nyambura, recounted a harrowing experience where a man emerged from a vehicle brandishing what appeared to be a firearm and forced her inside.

She revealed that the suspects demanded she ask her husband for money.

"When I told them he’s just a casual labourer, they insulted me and questioned why I had married what they called ‘a useless man,"' she said.

The attackers then took her phone, drained her M-Pesa account, and later drove to Kenol town in Maragua, where they compelled her to withdraw Sh20,000 from an ATM.

They also contacted her parents and husband, threatening to kill her if they didn’t send more money.

Her father ended up sending Sh40,000. However, when the suspects became aware they were being tracked by police, they abandoned her in the Kambiti area.

Murang’a County Commissioner Joshua Nkanatha confirmed that security agencies had been monitoring the suspects’ vehicle for several days before making the arrest.

"This operation is a major win in our continued efforts to eliminate criminal elements from the county," Nkanatha said.

He added that the Mulika Uhalifu platform, which allows the public to report crimes anonymously, had been instrumental in tracking the gang’s activities.

He assured residents that the county’s security team remains committed to ensuring people can go about their lives without fear or interruption.

County Police Commander Benjamin Kimwele noted that six individuals have been apprehended over the past week in connection with car break-ins and various scam operations.