Police in Murang'a have gunned down three people who had kidnapped a
woman at Gathuku village in Kahuro sub-county.
Margaret Waithera was kidnapped last Friday on her way home in the neighbouring Kiria village by a gang of thugs who were in a vehicle with government number plates.
Waithera said she was driving a saloon car at 8 pm along a road that is filled with potholes and had slowed down when she saw the vehicle signalling her from behind.
The vehicle then overtook her and barricaded the road in-front of her.
Waithera said after sensing danger, she locked herself inside her car but the kidnappers were able to unlock her doors remotely.
"They dragged me off my car and into their vehicle, slapped me and asked me to give them all the money I had and ATMs," Waithera said.
They then gave her a drink that knocked her out before taking her to a home that they have been holding her for six days.
Among the suspects was a 70 years old granny who Waithera said cooked her food.
The suspects, she said, had a photo of her father and told her their initial intentions were to kidnap him.
They then asked for the contacts of two of her brothers and demanded a ransom of Sh5 million
failure to which they would harm her.
The hysterical Waithera was overjoyed when her relatives came to get her shortly after she was rescued by police officers.
Criminal Investigations Officer Julius Rutere said the police managed to recover one Ak 47 rifle and a toy pistol.
The police had tracked the phone numbers that the kidnappers were using to the granny’s home, gunning her and two other suspects down.
Rutere, however, noted that investigations into the case would continue to determine if more suspects were involved in the kidnapping.
Residents who flocked into the home said they had noticed suspicious activities in the home and had notified local administrators who did not take any action.
They also noted that the granny did not get along with other members of the community and kept mostly to herself.
“One of the suspects is a thief that has caused us sleepless nights and we are happy that we will now be safe,” one resident said.