Police have denied involvement in the alleged abduction and later release of Juja Member of Parliament George Koimburi, and now say they suspect the MP may have staged the incident.
Koimburi was found alive on Monday morning, reportedly abandoned at the Jacaranda coffee plantation in Kibichoi, Kiambu County, nearly 12 hours after his family and supporters claimed he had been abducted in the Mugutha area.
He was taken to hospital for treatment, reportedly unconscious and in visible pain, still dressed in a navy-blue suit he had worn to church the previous day.
However, authorities have since launched a probe into the alleged abduction, with officers seeking to establish the circumstances under which he was found — and how those who located him knew his whereabouts.
“His mobile phone has been off since Friday when police tried to arrest him and the operation was called off,” said an officer familiar with the investigation.
According to police, a team had attempted to arrest the MP on Friday as he left an event in Juja. But Koimburi reportedly left his vehicle with a security aide and disappeared on a motorcycle. His driver was later arrested and taken to the DCI headquarters for questioning. He allegedly told investigators that the MP had ordered him to drop him off after learning that police were pursuing him.
The attempted arrest was reportedly linked to a land case currently under investigation.
Since that day, Koimburi had gone silent until Sunday evening, when reports surfaced of his alleged abduction. By early Monday, reports emerged that he had been found.
On Monday, detectives visited several scenes — including a church Koimburi is said to have attended before the alleged abduction, the spot where he was picked up, the plantation where he was found, and the two hospitals where he was treated.
Investigators also recorded statements from witnesses as they sought to verify the extent and cause of the MP’s injuries. Authorities say they intend to question Koimburi directly to get a clearer picture of what transpired.
Koimburi has claimed he was attacked by unknown men who confronted him outside a church in Kiambu County on Sunday afternoon. According to eyewitnesses and a statement from his wife, Ann Koimburi, two men dressed in plain clothes and posing as worshippers joined the crowd greeting the MP after the service.
“They suddenly overpowered him and forced him into a waiting Subaru Forester with altered number plates,” said Ann. She added that she was injured while trying to intervene.
The motive of the incident remains unclear, but reactions have been swift and mixed, with many Kenyans expressing outrage and calling for clarity.
Police insist investigations are ongoing and have not ruled out any possibility, including the likelihood that the entire abduction may have been staged.
