A senior Nairobi police officer was on Monday arraigned before the Makadara Law Courts over allegations of kidnapping, robbery with violence and extortion targeting online business vendors, before the case was withdrawn.
This was after both the complainants and the accused informed the court they had reached an out-of-court settlement.
Inspector Kelvin Mwangi Muraguri, the Deputy Officer Commanding Station (OCS) at Drive In Police Post, appeared alongside his co-accused, Stephen Okello Obewa.
The two had been charged with robbery with violence contrary to Section 296(2) of the Penal Code.
According to the charge sheet, the alleged offence occurred on July 30, 2026, within Kasarani Sub-County. Prosecutors alleged that the pair violently robbed Tanzanian national Kanuti Konrad of an iPhone 17 valued at Sh60,000, a Nokia phone valued at Sh1,000 and two Mimic mobile phones valued at Sh15,000, while using actual violence during the incident.
Investigators had alleged that what began as a routine online business delivery turned into a kidnapping and extortion ordeal. Konrad and his wife, Beatrice Naliaka, had travelled to Baba Ndogo to deliver an Apple Smart Watch ordered online when they were allegedly ambushed, handcuffed and forced into a white Toyota Axio.
The prosecution alleged that the suspects forced Konrad to withdraw Sh17,000 before demanding a ransom of Sh1 million.
They later drove to Equity Bank in Githurai 44, where Konrad was allegedly sent into the banking hall to withdraw the money while his wife remained hostage in the vehicle.
Court documents indicated that Konrad discreetly alerted a bank teller, who notified security personnel and a nearby Special Crimes Prevention Unit patrol.
The response led to the arrest of Obewa after police fired warning shots.
Investigators further alleged that during interrogation, Obewa implicated several serving police officers, leading to the arrest of Inspector Mwangi later the same evening. Police had also indicated that several other suspects believed to have participated in the alleged operation remained at large.
However, when the matter came up in court, the prosecution informed the magistrate that the complainants and the accused had agreed to settle the matter out of court. Following the request, the case was withdrawn.
The withdrawal means the criminal proceedings against the two accused persons have, for now, come to an end, although authorities have not publicly indicated whether any separate investigations into the alleged wider network involving other suspects will continue.
Police say they are committed to address crime in the service and have mechanisms to deal with such cases.
