Patrick Gacoki Muembe, Prime suspect behind the shocking abduction of Gatuto Primary School Headteacher, Joshua Kerai. Photo by DCI 
By Andrew Mbuva
Detectives in Kirinyaga East Sub-County have arrested the prime suspect behind the shocking abduction of Gatuto Primary School Headteacher, Joshua Kerai, who was kidnapped on November 4, 2025, in Kagumo, Kirinyaga County.
The suspect, Patrick Gacoki Muembe, was cornered by sleuths after days of intense manhunt following the harrowing ordeal that left the respected educator traumatized.
Muembe and two accomplices, who are still on the run, are said to have ambushed the teacher and forced him into a maroon Toyota Ractis (registration number KCP 816F) before driving him around for hours in what appeared to be a calculated act of intimidation.
The ordeal came to an end when the victim was found abandoned and disoriented inside the same vehicle at Sahara Petrol Station in Kutus Town. A Good Samaritan rushed him to Kerugoya Catholic Hospital, where he received emergency medical treatment.
Following the incident, detectives launched a full-scale investigation, analyzing forensic evidence and tracking intelligence leads that eventually led them to Muembe’s hideout in Kutus. After days of stealth operations, officers smoked out the suspect, bringing an end to a tense manhunt.
According to investigators, Muembe is a notorious repeat offender linked to a series of high-profile crimes, including motor vehicle theft, stock theft, robberies, and shop break-ins across Kirinyaga and neighboring regions.
He is currently in police custody as detectives intensify efforts to track down his two accomplices, believed to have gone into hiding after the abduction.
Authorities have assured residents that the dragnet for the remaining suspects is tightening, warning that no criminal will evade justice.
