A Nakuru father is still trying to process a terrifying night that nearly tore his family apart after his 24-year-old daughter was allegedly abducted by unknown men who threatened to kill her. What began as a normal Sunday evening quickly turned into a nightmare that tested his courage, instincts and faith.
Onesmus Chege Kamochu, a businessman from Upper Hill, recalls that his daughter, Irene Nduta Chege, had been home for just a short while after returning from Nairobi, where she had worked for three months. She had spent the day helping at the family business before heading out — unaware that danger was lurking.
By 11pm, Chege sensed something was terribly wrong. His daughter wasn’t picking calls. Moments later, his phone rang — but it wasn’t Irene. It was a group of strangers using her phone.
“They told me they had taken my daughter. They said if I didn’t cooperate, they would send her head,” Chege said, still shaken as he described the chilling moment.
The kidnappers demanded KSh 50,000 and claimed Irene was tied up. They insisted the money be sent directly to her number. The fear in Chege’s voice as he negotiated for his daughter’s life still lingers in his memory.
With no time to waste, he rushed to Nakuru Central Police Station, where officers immediately referred the matter to DCI Nakuru. Detectives began tracking the phone as the tense back-and-forth between Chege and the kidnappers continued.
“We begged them to take KSh 20,000 because that was what we had at the time,” he said. “They agreed. The moment the money hit the phone, they switched everything off.”
For hours, the family prayed and waited. The silence was unbearable.
At dawn, a new call came. The kidnappers briefly assured him they would release Irene. The line then went dead.
A few hours later, relief washed over the family when Irene was found unconscious just a short distance from their home. She appeared drugged and disoriented.
“She couldn’t even talk,” Chege recounted. “We rushed her to Langa Langa Sub-County Hospital to make sure she wasn’t harmed.”
The disturbing incident comes barely days after DCI officers in Thindigua, Kiambu County, rescued another victim and arrested five suspects, raising concerns about a possible spike in organized kidnappings in the region.
For now, Irene is recovering as investigations continue. Chege says the ordeal will haunt him for life — the phone calls, the threats, the negotiations, and the terrifying wait. But despite the trauma, he is grateful for one thing:
By Kenyans