A medical student from Makueni was arrested in Nairobi after he staged his own kidnapping for Sh70,000 ransom to pay school fees.
After receiving Sh10,o00, he went out to party and an mchele girl drugged him and stole the ransom.
Detectives from Kayole on Thursday arrested Edwin Kamau, 23.
He had called his parents to say he had been kidnapped by men who demanded a ransom to release him, or they would kill him.
Kamau is a student at Makindu campus of the Kenya Medical Training College.
Kamau ‘disappeared’ on July 3 before he blocked his father and called his mother, claiming to have been kidnapped.
Police said he told her his kidnappers wanted a ransom Sh70,000, then he hung up.
His parents reported the matter to police who immediately launched a manhunt for the kidnappers.
Police said the calls for ransom persisted and Kamau told his mother his kidnappers were on the verge of killing him.
The parents sent Sh10,000 on Wednesday via mobile money and an additional Sh40,000 Thursday.
After Kamau received the initial Sh10,000, he went to a club in Thika to party with a woman companion.
She turned out to be an mchele or pishori girl who laced his drink with a sedative and stole most of the Sh10,000 and his valuables.
Police said the student was stupefied. After he came to, he called his parents who sent the additional Sh40,000, which he withdrew and hid in his shoes.
By this time, detectives had closed in on his phone. He was found in a house in Kayole.
Kamau told police he had squandered the money meant for his last semester's school fees. He had to raise money to sit his exams, hence, the faked kidnapping for ransom.
He disclosed that he had been ‘kidnapped’ alongside two other students whose parents had paid their ransoms.
Detectives recovered Sh38,600 from him.
He was on Friday expected in court to face charges as police continue investigations.
Detectives are pursuing the two other 'kidnapped' students.
Police statistics show kidnappings are declining due to police measures, including arresting those behind the trend.
According to the National Crime Research Centre, the most common kidnappings are committed by strangers. Other kidnappings are committed by an acquaintance. Sometimes victims are forced to withdraw money from ATMs.
Police also cited inside kidnappings and abductions committed by family members.
The research centre said there are socio-cultural, including religious and morality motives, for kidnapping, as well as economic and political motives.
(Edited by V. Graham)
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