Detectives arrested two suspected kidnappers before rescuing two terrified victims in Thika West, Kiambu County.
The suspects, Davis Mugambi and John Maina Macharia were nabbed after a timely tip-off from vigilant members of the public who reported that two young women were being held against their will in a house at Muguga area.
Responding swiftly, detectives stormed the house and found the two victims visibly shaken, in tears, and nursing signs of physical assault.
Their mobile phones had been seized by the suspects in a bid to cut them off from the outside world.
A thorough search of the premises led to the recovery of seven mobile phones, five Safaricom SIM plates, and three Airtel SIM plates, police said.
Outside the house, detectives impounded a motor vehicle, which was the gang’s getaway car.
Inside the vehicle, detectives found four kitchen knives, seven matchboxes, and other suspicious items.
Preliminary investigations revealed that the two women were kidnapped in Nyeri on August 19, 2025, and ferried to Thika using the impounded vehicle.
It is not clear if the kidnappers had demanded a ransom for the release of the victims. The motive was also not immediately disclosed.
Further digging has unmasked Mugambi as a wanted man in Nyeri for a string of kidnapping and theft cases, suggesting the suspects may be part of a wider criminal web.
The suspects were detained as detectives finalize investigations before their date in court.
Police say they have in the past months burst kidnapping rings in parts of the country and arrested suspects. The kidnapped victims were rescued in the operations.
In some instances, the victims’ relatives paid ransom before police acted. Police say they have increased surveillance and operations to tame the gangs’ attempts in various parts of the country.
