A police officer was on Tuesday arrested in connection with the failed abduction of a medical doctor in Juja, Kiambu County.
The constable of police attached to Kayole police station was arrested following investigations into the August 5, 2026 incident.
He was detained by police officers from Athi River Police Station pending further processing and investigations.
Police said he will face charges including abduction and robbery with violence.
Police officers from Athi River Police Station, working in collaboration with members of the public, had rescued a medical doctor who had been abducted by armed suspects who demanded a Sh3 million ransom for his release.
The victim, Emmanuel Kerich, was reportedly accosted while in the company of friends at Juja City Mall by three men who handcuffed him before forcing him into a Subaru Forester.
Preliminary investigations established that the vehicle’s side mirrors bore a different registration identity, KDQ 640F, in what officers believe was an attempt to conceal the vehicle’s identity during the commission of the crime.
The suspects then drove the victim through several locations, torturing him and demanding the ransom before proceeding towards Athi River.
Acting on intelligence and with the assistance of members of the public, police officers trailed and intercepted the vehicle along the Mavemba–Mugoya Road in Athi River.
During the ensuing confrontation, two suspects managed to escape, while one suspect was cornered by members of the public and subjected to mob injustice before officers intervened, rescued him and rushed him to hospital, where he remains under police guard.
The victim was rescued safely.
Officers also recovered a pair of handcuffs believed to have been used during the abduction, while the Subaru Forester has been detained as an exhibit to aid ongoing investigations.
Detectives have launched a manhunt for the two suspects who escaped as investigations into the alleged abduction and attempted extortion continue.
The police also want to investigate if the suspects were known to the victim.
The arrest of the cop is the latest amid a series of similar incidents. Officials say there has been a spike in cases involving police officers in crime in the country. Police say the cases are isolated and cannot be used to judge the service.
The police say they have internal mechanisms to use in addressing such cases.
