Detectives on Monday, December 4 arrested four suspects who allegedly kidnapped a car dealer and a broker days before causing a car accident in Juja with a stolen car.
According to a police report detailing the incident, on Friday, December 1, 2023, car dealer Kennedy Kimuhu Gitau received a call from car broker Brian Karanja informing him of a prospective buyer in Juja searching for a Toyota Prado vehicle.
The pair then drove from a showroom along Kiambu Road to Juja to meet with the potential buyer, identified as Robert Sifuna Wekesa.
After introductions, the trio conducted a test drive toward Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT). They then stopped in front of a gated house in Juja, where all three disembarked from the vehicle.
Moments later, three men on a motorcycle emerged, instructing the two car dealers to enter the house, while the client Wekesa drove the car into the compound.
The duo was held hostage in the house while the kidnappers instructed them to use their phones to raise Ksh. 2.5 million ransom each from their families and friends.
On December 4, two men and a woman reportedly bound the kidnapped duo, forcibly bundled them into the Prado, and set off for an undisclosed location. The situation took a dramatic turn when the vehicle reached Juja Equity Bank, colliding with another motor vehicle before speeding off.
The driver of the affected vehicle pursued the Prado, leading to another crash at Kahawa Wendani along the service lane of the Thika Superhighway.
The police report stated, “He pursued them to Kahawa Wendani Magunas supermarket along the service lane, where the stolen vehicle lost control, collided with the road steel guards and came to a stop.”
Following the impact that immobilized the vehicle, the three armed robbers disembarked, feigning a medical emergency for one of them. They mounted a bodaboda, leaving their bound hostages in the Prado.
The assailants discharged two rounds of ammunition into the air and directed the bodaboda rider to transport them to Juja.
The rider mentioned that the female suspect pointed a gun at him while ordering him to drive them away. He rode towards Shell petrol station in Kahawa Sukari, jumped off the motorcycle, and ran for his life.
“He took them to Kahawa Sukari roundabout and abandoned the motorcycle there. The robbers took the said motorcycle and rode towards Ruiru direction,” said the police.
Detectives launched a manhunt that led to the arrest of four suspects aged between 27 and 33 years. According to the authorities, information provided by the abducted victims led them to the hideout of the suspects in Juja.
“The victims led us to a hideout in Juja, whereby we have managed to arrest four kidnappers who have been positively identified by the victims,” said Alex Shikondi, the Ruiru Sub-county Police Commander.
Police additionally mentioned that they are actively pursuing three more accomplices who remain at large. They appealed to members of the public to provide any information that could assist in the apprehension of these individuals.
Meanwhile, the arrested suspects are expected in court on Tuesday, December 5, when the police intend to request additional time to conclude their investigations.
