Student shot in kidnap rescue attempt

A secondary school student was shot and seriously wounded as she attempted to rescue her mother from kidnappers in Kirinyaga County.

The Form Four student, Caroline Wangu, 17 is now fighting for her life at Kerugoya district hospital where she was taken with a bullet lodged in her left leg soon after the Wednesday night dramatic kidnap at Ngomongo village.

Posing as police officers, the six men raided the home of Harrison Mwangi, a farmer in the village at around 9pm.

Armed with guns, handcuffs and wearing police uniforms, the raiders demanded to know from the family members where Mr. Mwangi was.

It was then that they asked for water to cool the engine of their saloon car which Ms.Wangu who studies at the nearby day secondary school went to get it for them, oblivious to the fact that they were kidnappers on a mission.

She left her mother Nancy Wawira talking to the men who insisted they wanted her father for interrogation.

Minutes later, the gunmen grabbed Mrs. Wawira and started pushing her into their car but she screamed for help and her daughter responded.

She confronted the kidnappers and tried to rescue her mother as she raised an alarm. She struggled with kidnappers, reportedly telling them off but one of them shot her in the leg.

FAST RESPONSE

The kidnappers shot in the air as they drove off with her mother to scare away neighbours who had responded to the distress call from the home.

The neighbours administered first aid to Ms. Wangu and rushed her to the medical institution as she writhed in pain.

A relative, Mr Julius Karaba said he was at home when he received the news that his niece had been shot before rushing to the scene.

"On arrival, I found the victim bleeding from her leg while her mother was missing. I joined the neighbours and we drove her to the hospital for treatment," he said.

Mr Karaba said the men were in police uniform and members of the family did not suspect they were abductors.

"They masqueraded as officers and no one could suspect that they were criminals," he said.

Mr Karaba said it was likely the raiders were part of gang that had been kidnapping residents in the county and demanding for ransom.

Mr Mwangi collapsed in shock upon seeing his daughter lying in her hospital bed and learning of his wife’s abduction.

He was treated for shock and discharged.

The nurses said the student was responding well to treatment but would be operated on to remove the bullet.

POLICE IN PURSUIT

Area head of police, John Kamau said the police were in pursuit of the kidnappers and were determined to rescue the woman.

Mr Kamau said kidnappers were engaging the woman in conversation outside the main house in her compound when they suddenly forced her into their car and sped off.

He said the motive behind the abduction which left family members shocked was yet to be established as the kidnappers had not made contact with the family.

Mr Kamau asked the villagers to assist with the police by giving them leads that could lead to the rescue of the kidnap victim and the arrest of the culprits. 

County Governor Joseph Ndathi expressed concern over the increasing cases of abduction and called on the police to arrest the situation.

He said kidnappers on the loose and were scaring away potential investors. "These kidnappers should be tamed as they are dangerous," he said.

Cases of kidnapping are on the rise in the county. In the past four months four people including a college student have been kidnapped.

Two of the victims have already been killed by the kidnappers believed to hail from the neighbouring Murang'a County.