Nairobi News

NewsWhat's Hot

Abducted twins rescued


Police have rescued 15 year-old twins who were abducted 11 days ago in Parklands area.

The twins were found in Matasia on Monday night and 9 suspects arrested.

Police say among the arrested is a former Administration Police officer, Joash Opiyo Jagero, who was interdicted following the Sh80 million G4S heist in 2010.

The gang had kidnapped the two children, both students at Ruiru’s Peponi School, and demanded a ransom of Sh 86 million from the family.

Mada Hotel franchise

The victims’ father, Tinu Mahajan, is a Kenyan-Asian hotelier who runs the Mada Hotel franchise.

The family operates 11 hotels around East Africa, nine of which are in Kenya.

Kilima Safari Camp in Amboseli National Park and the 4-star Hotel La Mada in Muthaiga are their flagship brands.

The head of Flying Squad Munga Nyale said the suspects will be taken to court on Tuesday.

The captors were arrested at around 11pm in Matasia inside the house of their ring leader Steve Oduko.

During the kidnapping ordeal , Mr Oduko is said to have been in police uniform.

The former AP officer, who was part of the gang, was in 2010 accused of escorting the fraudsters who posed as G4S staff and stole Sh80 million from Co-operative Bank.

He admitted giving out his official uniform and firearm to a colleague, but denied involvement in the actual robbery.

He was later charged alongside Cyrus Murigi Kihoro, an ATM manager, Mr Zakaria Wanyama, a Reconciliation manager, Mr Philip Nashon Aroko, a taxi operator and Mr Samuel Mulla Omullo.

Criminal gangs

The abduction of the Mahajan twins comes only a month after the police in Nairobi released a report that the county has up to 14 organised criminal gangs involved in kidnappings.

Most of the gangs operate in informal settlements where policing is poor, according to the report done by The National Crime Research Centre.