The residents of Kirinyaga protested against the alleged attempted abduction by detectives.

Kiamanyeki, Kirinyaga County – Tension arose in Kiamanyeki village, Mwea-East, after six detectives were nearly lynched by the villagers for allegedly attempting to abduct a local woman. This incident was on January 12, 2025, the following day after villagers had surrounded the police lorry to save the supposed victim.

It all started when residents raised the alarm after noticing Jackline Gatwiri being forcibly bundled into the detectives’ vehicle. “I saw Gatwiri being grabbed by armed men and pushed into the vehicle. I immediately thought that she was being abducted and called for help. The villagers responded promptly and surrounded the car,” observed Grace Wambui, a witness.

Gatwiri, clearly shaken, recounted her ordeal: “The officers called me to come and meet them in Ngurubani Town. They said they wanted my assistance in arresting a suspect, who happens to be a friend of mine. Upon reaching there, I was forced into their vehicle and driven to Kiamanyeki village without even a chance to call my employer.”

The villagers became enraged as Peter Maina and Michael Waweru, armed with crude weapons, condemned the vice in their village. Maina said, “We do not need Subaru vehicles in Kirinyaga County, for these cars have been used in some abductions that have been reported across the country.”

Henry Kariuki, Chief of Kiarukungu Location, clarified that the detectives had been tracking a robbery suspect who frequently communicated with Gatwiri, believing she could help them trace the suspect. But problems arose when the detectives did not inform the local administration or Wanguru officers about their operation.

The detectives were released when officers from Wanguru arrived on the scene and calmed the mob, explaining the purpose of the operation. Chief Kariuki later confirmed that the suspect the officers were looking for had been apprehended1.

Reports that the police were linked to some alleged abductions were dismissed and it was assured that the abductees released would be contacted with their families concerning the ongoing investigations.