DCI Arrests Key Suspect in Kidnapping of Gatuto Primary School Headteacher
The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) has arrested a man believed to be the mastermind behind the kidnapping of Gatuto Primary School headteacher, Joshua Kerai, in Kirinyaga County.
According to the DCI, the suspect was part of a three-man gang that abducted the school head on November 4 in Kagumo. “Kirinyaga East Sub-County detectives have apprehended a prime suspect behind the kidnapping of Gatuto Primary School Headteacher, Joshua Kerai,” the agency said in a statement.
Investigations reveal that the attackers ambushed Kerai last Tuesday, bundled him into a Toyota Ractis, and drove him around for hours in a terrifying ordeal. He was later abandoned at a petrol station in Kutus Town, disoriented and shaken.
A good Samaritan found the headteacher and took him to Kerugoya Hospital, where he received medical attention. Detectives then launched an intensive investigation, piecing together forensic evidence and intelligence reports that led them to the suspect’s hideout in Kutus.
Police say the arrested man is a known repeat offender linked to several serious crimes, including car theft, stock theft, robberies, and shop break-ins across the region.
He is currently in custody and will be arraigned soon, as a manhunt continues for his two accomplices who remain at large.
The incident comes amid growing concern over attacks targeting educators. Just a day earlier, Munyuki Secondary School Principal, who had been reported missing, was found dead in the Kipkaren River. Investigators believe the case may have been staged to look like an accident, though early findings suggest the principal was tortured before his death.
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DCI Arrests Key Suspect in Kidnapping of Gatuto Primary School Headteacher