This archive report was first published on 5 July 2021.
Published on July 5, 2021, a man from Kabusenduk village in Bureti, Kericho County was arrested for faking his own kidnap to extort Sh100,000 from his wife.
According to County Criminal Investigations Officer (CCIO) John Onyango, the suspect was arrested after investigators caught him hiding at a friend's house, waiting for his wife to send the money.
The suspect had called his wife, informing her that he had been kidnapped and the kidnappers were demanding Sh100,000 for his release. He also claimed that the kidnappers had bound his hands and were speeding to an unknown location along the Kericho-Nakuru highway.
However, police officers launched investigations and located the suspect's motorcycle, which was found abandoned at Kebeneti dispensary. After 24 hours of intense intelligence collection and public assistance, the suspect was found hiding at his friend's house.
Onyango stated that the suspect was arrested and placed in a police cell to be charged on Monday over the purported kidnap. Preliminary investigations also indicated that the suspect's friend was not involved in the scheme and was released.
The CCIO added that the suspect wanted to raise Sh100,000 to offset a loan he had taken from a local Saving and Credit Cooperative Society (Sacco). The suspect had used the motorcycle to secure the loan, which was in the verge of being repossessed.
