Teacher fakes her own kidnap to get Sh500,000 ransom

Leah Wanjiru Kanene in court photo. by PKEMOI NG’ENOH

A primary school teacher who faked her own kidnapping and demanded a Sh500,000 ransom has been charged in court.

Leah Wanjiru Kanene, a teacher at Uhuru Primary School, was arrested on Monday morning in her house.

She had returned from Mombasa, where police say she had booked herself into a hotel.

Her family says it had paid Sh70,000 as the first instalment of the Sh500,000 ransom.

Ransom call

Senior Principal Magistrate Angelo Kithinji heard that Wanjiru first called her sister, Julia Njambi, claiming that she had been abducted by unknown people on July 18.

Njambi reported the matter to Buru Buru police station and started mobilising family and friends to help rescue Wanjiru.

The court heard that Wanjiru told her relatives that her abductors were threatening to kill her if they did not pay the ransom in full.

Her family told police that they raised more than Sh70,000, which they sent to Wanjiru's 'abductors.' Further investigations revealed that the money was withdrawn by Wanjiru.

Police found out that Wanjiru had planned her own kidnapping and that she had travelled to Mombasa, leaving her young children with her husband.

She is then said to have booked herself into a hotel, where, according to the police, she hosted a male visitor. Police went to arrest her when she returned home.

Wanjiru has been charged with giving false information that she had been abducted and demanding ransom for her release.

The prosecution asked the court for more time to carry out investigations, saying officers needed  to acquire the data of the suspect's mobile phone calls from Safaricom and trace the trail to Mombasa.

More time

"We request the court to give five days to detain the accused. The time will enable us to record statements in Mombasa, where she had travelled as some of our witnesses are there," the prosecution said.

The court granted the prosecution two days, starting on Monday. Wanjiru pleaded with the court to release her on grounds that she has a small child who is ill.

She was released on a cash bail of Sh20,000 or the option being remanded at Buru Buru police station until investigations are completed. She is expected in court today to take a plea when her case will be mentioned.