Police have arrested three individuals and seized two vehicles in connection with the alleged abduction of Juja Member of Parliament, George Koimburi, which occurred on Sunday, May 25, 2025. Authorities have since revealed that the incident appears to have been a staged operation planned by close allies of the legislator.
According to a police statement released on Wednesday, May 28, those arrested include key figures within the Juja constituency: Peter Kiratu, the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) Chairman; Cyrus Kieru Muhia, a local businessman; and Karanja Gatana, a driver involved in the transportation during the reported abduction.
Investigations show that the plan was hatched on the eve of the incident. One of the arrested individuals, Kieru, allegedly provided his silver Subaru Forester to be used in the operation. Police say the vehicle, Reg. No. KDG 803B, was used to carry out the staged abduction.
On the day of the incident, MP Koimburi and Kiratu reportedly attended a church service at Full Gospel Church in Mugutha. As they were leaving the venue, a second vehicle a Honda CR-V with registration number KBP 096W drove up to the entrance. Two large men emerged and forcefully bundled the MP into the car in full view of bystanders. Kiratu reportedly filed a report of the incident at a nearby police station shortly after.
Later that same day, Kiratu received a call from the MP’s daughter, informing him that Koimburi had been found in a coffee plantation within Juja. He then rushed to the location and transported the MP to Plainsview Hospital in Ruiru. From there, Koimburi was later transferred to a private facility in Karen for additional treatment.
Further questioning of the suspects by authorities revealed deeper insights into the planning of the event. Kieru disclosed that on May 24, he was contacted by Kiratu and asked to provide his Subaru Forester under the pretense that it would be used to ferry additional security for the MP during the church event. Kieru complied and delivered the vehicle to Kiratu’s homestead in Mugutha, where he met Gatana and three unidentified men.
The group, using both vehicles, conducted a preliminary visit to the church to familiarise themselves with the location. On the day of the incident, Kieru drove the Subaru to the church, accompanied by two of the unidentified men. These were the individuals who staged the abduction by dragging the MP into the vehicle and speeding away.
The plot further thickened when it was revealed that the MP was not immediately harmed or left in distress. Instead, the group drove to Jacaranda Coffee Research via Kambogo Road, where the MP directed them to stop. He then transferred to the Honda CR-V that had been waiting in the area. At this point, Kieru was left behind with the two unidentified men, who warned him not to speak to authorities.
Gatana later confessed that he dropped the MP at a hotel where he spent the night along with the so-called abductors. The next day, on May 26, Gatana picked up the MP from the hotel and took him to the coffee plantation where they claimed he had been dumped.
Before the MP exited the vehicle, Gatana helped him tear his clothes in an attempt to create false evidence of a violent kidnapping. Police believe this act was intended to support the narrative that the MP had endured torture.
The investigation is ongoing, with authorities pursuing additional leads and working to identify the other individuals involved in the apparent fabrication.
