Ransom money was ‘traced to Kamiti’

A death row convict at the Kamiti prison sent ransom money he received from a kidnapped child’s parent and wired it to an accomplice who runs an M-pesa outlet in Nairobi’s Umoja estate, a police officer told a court Thursday.

Mr John Shegu told the court that Mr Raphael Nderitu Maina alias Ali Nderitu Maina’s phone trail was tracked after the six-year-old girl was kidnapped at the Mavuno Church during a Sunday service on September 30, 2012.

The officer was testifying at the close of the prosecution case against six suspects including Mr Nderitu who are charged with the kidnap.

“After the child was kidnapped on September 30 2012 we began monitoring communication between the parent and someone who was in Kamiti.

We traced an M-Pesa transaction from the parent of the kidnapped child to the suspect and his accomplice who was runing a shop in Umoja,” Mr Shegu said.

The convict, the witness said, later wired the ransom money sent to him by the child’s father to a mobile phone registered in the names of Mercy David who turned out to be Ms Monicah Wanjiru Makumi, the owner of an M-Pesa shop.

“Mercy David called the first accused, Ms Charity Wakonyo Gathigi to collect the money after she received it from Mr Nderitu,” the police officer said.

Ms Ann Wamboi alias Judy Nyambura Muna, Ms Purity Muthoni Ranji, Ms Monica Wanjiru Makumi alias mercy David, Ms Alice Wangui Gitonga and Mr Raphael Nderitu Maina are jointly charged with conspiring to kidnap the girl.

The child’s aunt, Ms Charity Wakonyo Gathingi who was also charged in the case jumped bail and is yet to be traced. They are also charged with demanding a Sh1 million ransom from the child father.