Detectives have arrested a lady and her female accomplice for faking a kidnapping to extort money from her mother.
The two were caught patronizing a Machakos bar after the mother involved detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) seeking their help to rescue her daughter.
According to the DCI, Jane Wamuyu who resides in satellite Riruta received the messages two days ago. Wamuyu was informed that her daughter Claire Muthoni had been kidnapped and her captors were demanding Ksh30,000 ransom for her release.
"Failure to which, her throat will be slit open," read the message.
Wamuyu also received photos of a 'shaken' Muthoni with her hands and legs tied and a kitchen knife displayed beside her to prove the threat.
They threatened to kill her daughter if she involved the authorities. Wamuyu decided to report the incident to Karen police station in a bid to save her daughter.
The DCI took over the matter and on investigating, leads got them to Masiani Village, Kangundo.
They ambushed Muthoni who was at a local bar in the company of Diana Wanjiku who is suspected to have taken photos of the alleged kidnap.
"Detectives uncovered that Muthoni had hatched the plan to stage her own kidnapping, then demand a ransom from her own mother, ostensibly to secure her release," revealed the DCI. The two are in custody awaiting arraignment.
This is yet another case of a staged kidnap. Earlier in the year, a form three student was nabbed in Meru county for extorting money from his parents in a fake kidnapping plan.
However, rising cases of kidnapping have been reported recently in the country with many victims being found dead and others yet to be found.
A journalist and National Lands Commission (NLC) official Jennifer Itumbi Wambua who went missing on Friday, March 12 was found dead days after.
The investigations are on as the detectives seek to unravel the incidents that led to her death. Joseph Okoth Ouma, popularly known as Rashid Yusuf who was abducted last week by three men is yet to be found. The investigations are still underway.
