This archive report was first published on 4 July 2021.
On July 4, 2021, a 36-year-old boda-boda operator from Kabusenduk village in Bureti, Kericho County was arrested for a fake kidnap scheme.
According to County Criminal Investigations Officer (CCIO) John Onyango, the man was arrested after investigators caught him hiding at a friend's house, waiting for his wife to send the ransom money.
The suspect's wife had reported to the police that her husband had called her, claiming he had been kidnapped and the kidnappers were demanding Sh100,000 for his release.
However, police investigations revealed that the suspect had abandoned his motorcycle at Kebeneti dispensary and was found hiding at his friend's house after 24 hours of intense intelligence collection.
Onyango stated that the suspect was arrested and placed in a police cell to be charged on Monday over the purported kidnap.
Further investigations indicated that the suspect had taken a loan from a local Saving and Credit Cooperative Society (Sacco) using his motorcycle as collateral, and was facing repossession.
"The suspect had used the motorcycle to secure the loan and it is in the verge of being repossessed. That is what led the suspect to try to extort the money from his wife by crafting the kidnap story," said Onyango.
