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Police are looking for a gang of two men who abducted and raped at least three women since Saturday on the Eldoret-Nakuru highway.

The gang, operating in a private saloon car, posing as operators of a public service vehicle (PSV), picked one of their victims at Uthiru, Nairobi claiming that they were going to Kericho.

The 24-year-old victim (name withheld) narrated how she boarded the vehicle at Uthiru on Saturday at around 3pm.

In the car were the male driver, another man and two women who were also travelling.

When they reached Nakuru, the two women alighted and they proceeded with the journey towards Kericho.

“Upon reaching Total Trading Centre at the junction heading to Kericho, the woman requested to alight and board another vehicle heading to Kericho but the driver sped off towards Eldoret direction instead,” police said in a statement.

On reaching Nyanja area in Kamara Ward within Londiani Forest at around 9pm, the assailants turned against her and demanded Sh10,000 from her.

Stripped naked

When she explained that she did not have the amount, the assailants took a feeder road into a thicket and forced her to strip naked and alight the vehicle, leaving her belongings in the car.

“The victim complied and the assailants took turns to rape her then left her in the bush and drove off. After the ordeal, they robbed her of her two mobile phones and a laptop, all valued at Sh70,500,” police said.

The victim managed to leave the forest and sought assistance at the police station and was rushed to Molo Sub-county hospital where she is undergoing treatment.

Police now advise members of the public to be very cautious when boarding such private vehicles.

In another case on Saturday, believed to have been committed by the same gang, a girl aged 19, was also abducted, gang raped before being dumped by two motorists.

The victim’s father reported that he received a call from his daughter who informed her of the incident.

Her brother traced her and took her to West Valley Medical clinic for treatment.

“Investigations into the incident has been launched to establish the identity of the suspects,” police said.

Police said preliminary investigations revealed that the victim was along Eldoret-Nakuru highway near Total Petrol station when an unknown motor vehicle parked in front of her and one suspect alighted, grabbed and dragged her into the said vehicle before driving away with her.

“The two men gang raped her and also robbed her of her mobile phone before dumping her in the forest,” police said.

Killed by gang

Elsewhere in Homa Bay county, police are investigating a case in which a 32-year-old bodaboda rider was killed by gangsters who robbed him of his motorcycle and two phones before raping his wife at Got Rateng’ village in Lambwe East location.

According to the police, the robbers raided Jacob Osore’s house yesterday (Tuesday) morning at around 4am where they attacked him with a panga before attacking the wife.

Lambwe East Chief Benard Ouma said the gangsters were heard demanding money, which Osore acquired through a fundraiser, organised a few weeks ago to help him purchase another motorbike since his previous one had been stolen in a previous robbery incident.

Mbita Sub-County Police Commander Solomon Barngetuny yesterday said Osore was rushed to Homa Bay County Referral Hospital where he succumbed to his injuries. His wife is also recuperating from the same facility.

Apart from the warning by the police, the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) had also warned against boarding such illegal PSVs especially when there is a surge in the demand for transport services.

The unlicensed PSV may speed and fail to adhere to road regulations in a bid to meet the increased demand for transport services. Some of them may also end up carrying excess passengers or drive while intoxicated, according to the NTSA.

Within the same Mau Summit area where a woman was abducted, a 14-year-old girl went missing then later resurfaced. On May 23, a grade seven juvenile pupil at Pele Primary School left home to school but never returned in the evening.

She resurfaced later on and upon interrogation, she alleged that a man known to her had lured her to his house, defiled her and then disappeared to an unknown place. The mother reported the incident to the police who then made a visit to the scene but no arrests were made.

According to the sexual offence Act, any person who commits the offence of rape of defilement in association of another or others is guilty of an offence termed gang rape and is liable upon conviction to imprisonment for a term of not less than 15 years but which may be enhanced life imprisonment.