Four armed thugs at the weekend raided Huhi Maize Millers in Mukuyu in Kiharu, Murang'a East and kidnapped the proprietor Mary Wangari. The robbers seriously injured three people.

Central Province AP boss Joseph Keitany said the criminals who were armed with an AK47 rifle and other crude weapons struck at 6.45pm. He said Wangari raised the alarm, when the raiders attacked her, attracting the attention of wananchi.

Keitany said the public responded by going to her rescue and that is how the three villagers were shot. The first villager was shot in the head, the second on the back and the third one in the right hand.

The AP boss said the thugs kidnapped Wangari and escaped with her in an unmarked vehicle. Keitany said the injured were rushed to Murang'a Dstrict Hospital.

He said they were receiving treatment and are now in a stable condition. Keitany said the same gang had attacked police who were on patrol on Kahuro-Murang'a road. The police boss said the criminals shot at the AP officers from the same unmarked car. He said no none of the officers were injured.

Keitany said the thugs are yet to be arrested. He said an major operation has been launched to catch the kidnappers. He said cases of kidnapping in Murang'a County and its environs were alarmingly high.