Five suspects were charged with colluding to violently rob and kidnap four-year-old Kelson Kimani, and demanding Sh2.5 million ransom on January 6.
They five are Faith Nyambura, Jacinta Nduta, Monica Ndunge, Patrick Njoroge and Susan Gathoni. They were arraigned before Thika principal magistrate Clarence Omollo. They all denied the charges.
Ndunge, a college student, and Nyambura, were also separately charged with hiding Kelson in Ruaka and being found with his mother Catherine Nyambura’s driving license, ID card and other effects.
Gathoni was separately charged with having seven IDs, eight Safaricom sim card holders, three Orange, four Safaricom and one Airtel sim cards on January 11.
Njoroge was charged with having an unlicensed pistol, a Sh60,000 stolen phone and cash. He was also charged with robbing Nyambura of Sh300,000, a driving license, ID, mobile phone, handbag and other effects.
Njoroge cried during the reading of the charges. He shouted at investigating officer constable Eric Gitonga, accusing him of bias and torture.
“He tortured me, took away my documents at the time of arrest and forced me to write a statement. Last week, the court had granted me permission to be taken to hospital because I am unwell, but the request is yet to be honored,” Njoroge also told the court.
On Thursday last week, the suspects were arraigned in court and Gitonga requested for five days to complete investigations before the accused take pleas.
State counsel Minoo Maundu asked the court not to release the suspects on bond, terming them a threat to the security of the victims and flight risks.
But defence lawyers Jeremiah Meeme and David Muthama, representing Ndunge and Gathoni, said the prosecution does not have enough evidence to prove they are flight risks. The judge ordered that Njoroge be taken to hospital and the case mentioned on Tuesday.