Nairobi — Detectives in Kirinyaga East Sub-County have arrested a man believed to be the mastermind behind the kidnapping of Gatuto Primary School Headteacher in Kagumo, Kirinyaga County.

According to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), the suspect, was arrested in Kutus following an intensive manhunt.

He is accused of abducting the teacher on November 4, 2025, together with two accomplices who remain at large.

The DCI said that the suspects ambushed the headteacher and forced him into a maroon vehicle before driving him around for several hours, subjecting him to a harrowing ordeal.

"The victim was later found abandoned and in distress inside the same vehicle at Sahara Petrol Station in Kutus Town," the DCI said.

A good samaritan rescued the shaken teacher and rushed him to Kerugoya Catholic Hospital, where he was treated and later discharged.

Following the incident, detectives launched a detailed investigation that led them to the suspect's hideout after days of surveillance and forensic analysis.

Preliminary investigations have linked the suspect to several other criminal activities, including vehicle theft, livestock theft, robberies, and shop break-ins across Kirinyaga and neighbouring counties.

He is currently being held in police custody as detectives pursue his two accomplices, who remain on the run.