Kidnapping syndicate unearthed

By Antony Gitonga and Wairimu Kamande

Police in Naivasha have discovered a kidnapping ring targeted at taxi drivers in Nairobi, Thika and Naivasha.

This came after a suspect was nabbed minutes after killing a taxi driver and dumping his body near Mt Longonot.

The suspect, who is from Nairobi, was arrested as he fled in the stolen car.

Two more accomplices were arrested a few hours later and are being questioned at the Naivasha Police Station.

The suspect allegedly strangled the driver along the Naivasha-Mai Mahiu road at around 9pm.

He had hired the driver from Nairobi to ferry him to Naivasha but turned against him on a lone stretch along the road.

"The suspect was arrested by police as he tried to join the main road and when he was detained and questioned, he confessed to stealing the vehicle," said Naivasha OCPD Ernest Oponyo.

Meanwhile, an 11-year-old boy has been arraigned before a Thika court, charged with defiling three girls.

The primary school pupil appeared before Senior Resident Magistrate, Barbara Owino where he denied committing the offence this week at an estate in Thika town.

The Standard Seven pupil, who seemed smaller than his age, also denied alternative charges of indecently touching the private parts of the girls, two of them aged six and another seven years.

Owino granted the subject a bond of Sh100,000 with surety of a similar amount. The case will be heard in two weeks. In the same court, Amos Murugu denied indecently assaulting a girl aged 17. He allegedly committed the offence some time last year, at Murera village in Ruiru.

He was released on a Sh800,000 bond with surety of a similar amount.