A junior police officer was on Tuesday arrested in connection with the failed abduction of a medical doctor in Juja, Kiambu County.
The constable, who is attached to Kayole Police Station in Nairobi, was arrested following investigations into the August 5, 2026 incident, police said.
He was detained by officers from Athi River Police Station pending further processing and investigations.
Police said he will face charges including abduction and robbery with violence.
A ransom had been demanded for the release of the victim, police revealed.
Officers from Athi River Police Station, working with members of the public, had rescued the medical doctor after he was allegedly abducted by armed suspects who demanded a Sh3 million ransom for his release.
The victim 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 alleged crime.
The suspects then drove the victim through several locations, where he was allegedly tortured and the ransom demanded, before they proceeded towards Athi River.
Acting on intelligence and with the assistance of members of the public, police officers trailed and intercepted the vehicle along Mavemba–Mugoya Road in Athi River.
During the ensuing confrontation, two suspects managed to escape, while one 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 alleged abduction, while the Subaru Forester was 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.
Police also want to establish whether the suspects were known to the victim.
The arrest of the police officer is the latest in 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 for addressing such cases.
Some insiders are concerned about the trend and are calling for more measures to address it.
