Nairobi — Detectives in Nakuru have rescued a female university student who was kidnapped five days ago.
The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) detectives say Daisy Chebet Barno, a fourth-year student at Egerton University was kidnapped by three men in Kabarak, Nakuru County on January 26 and taken to an unknown destination.
"Unknown to Daisy, her friend Faith Mwende who is also her coursemate at the Nakuru town campus had conspired with her boyfriend and other thugs to kidnap Daisy and demand a ransom from her supposedly well-to-do family," the DCI said Tuesday.
On the day of her kidnapping, the victim had been invited for late lunch by Mwende's boyfriend Simon Akuteka, 39, who lives with his wife in Rwanda.
After being convinced that Mwende would be joining them later, detectives say, she obliged and got into Akuteka's car, which they later learnt belonged to a car hire agent based in Nairobi.
Once in the car, Akuteka drove towards Kabarak after excusing himself to pick a parcel. However, along the way, he stopped the car suddenly and two men got into the vehicle.
The trio informed Daisy that she had been kidnapped and demanded a ransom of Sh600,000 from Daisy's family.
"They drove to Ruiru at around OJ restaurant where they took a 2 bedroomed Airbnb and locked Daisy in one of the bedrooms. Mwende who had since joined them took the other bedroom where they made merry with her partner after Daisy's family sent an initial Sh50,000," the DCI stated.
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Unknown to the thugs, detectives who had received a distress call from Daisy's family were closely monitoring their movements as they operated between Thika, Murang'a, Kajiado, and Ruiru during the day, in a bid to outwit the officers.
But the sleuths based at the Crime Research and Intelligence Bureau went after the suspects before pouncing on them Monday night at the apartment.
According to the agency, a brief altercation ensued as the sleuths introduced themselves to the thugs after they defied orders to surrender and engaged the officers in a fistfight.
Following the successful raid also supported by detectives drawn from DCI Nakuru and Ruiru, all four suspects were arrested and Daisy was rescued.
"Preliminary investigations have revealed that the main suspect Simon Akuteka is a fugitive who has several cases of stealing motor vehicles pending before the court in Nairobi and Kisumu," the DCI said.
The second suspect John Mbau, 38, also has similar motor vehicle theft cases pending before several courts.
Detectives are also holding Faith Mwende who is believed to have conspired against her friend and course mate as they commence investigations on the matter.
One cello tape, a rope, assorted mobile phones, several sim cards, and the identity card of the victim were recovered from the said suspects.
