Police have arrested a 38-year-old man identified as Musyoka Mutava, believed to be a key suspect in a violent highway carjacking incident that left a motorist shaken and his vehicle stolen along the Mariakani-Kiunduani highway.
According to police sources, the victim was ferrying two male passengers from Mariakani when the ordeal unfolded. Upon reaching the Kiunduani area, the suspects reportedly asked the driver to make a brief stop. It was at that moment that the unsuspecting driver was ambushed by accomplices lying in wait by the roadside.
The assailants overpowered the victim, seized control of the vehicle, and fled the scene, prompting a multi-agency police pursuit.
Investigations led authorities to Ukia in Makueni County, where the stolen vehicle was eventually recovered. Alongside the vehicle, officers also impounded a motorbike believed to have been used as a getaway vehicle during the ambush, as well as a set of stolen number plates, raising suspicions of a broader carjacking ring operating along the route.
Musyoka Mutava is currently in custody as detectives intensify efforts to track down his accomplices, who remain at large. Police say the arrest marks a significant breakthrough in dismantling organized highway robbery syndicates that have been targeting motorists, especially those operating along isolated stretches of road in the coastal and eastern corridors.
The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) has urged members of the public to remain vigilant when picking passengers in unfamiliar locations and to report any suspicious activity to the nearest police station.
Further updates are expected as investigations progress.
