This archive report was first published on 30 June 2021.
On Tuesday, June 29, at around 5pm, a 45-year-old Nyeri businessman was kidnapped by a four-man gang in broad daylight.
The businessman, Gerald Guandaru, was abducted just ten metres from his shop in Nyeri Town, where he operates a nightspot and barbershop.
According to eyewitnesses, the abductors, who were wearing face masks, arrived at the scene in a Subaru Outback and waited for Guandaru to arrive.
When Guandaru arrived, the four men disembarked from the vehicle and demanded that he open the door of his Toyota Premio.
Guandaru refused, but one of the men picked up a large stone to smash the window. Left with no choice, Guandaru opened the driver's door.
The men then subdued and frogmarched Guandaru to their car, confiscating his phone and car key in the process.
Police have obtained CCTV recordings from nearby buildings to help identify the abductors, but so far, they have made little progress in their search for Guandaru.
Guandaru's wife, Cecilia Wamaitha, reported that her husband had been receiving mysterious calls from a private number in the days leading up to the kidnapping.
Police are reviewing the CCTV footage to capture the vehicle's registration details, which may help them identify the suspects.
Nyeri County Police Commander Adiel Nyange said, 'We hope the vehicle's registration plate number would help us unravel who the suspects are.'
