Two men accused of violently robbing and raping a woman in Kisumu were arrested after a dramatic high-speed car chase.
In a statement on Sunday, May 18, the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) said the suspects, Fredrick Oduor Ongori and John Okumu Owidhi, were taken into custody following a days-long manhunt.
According to the DCI, the incident happened on May 12, when the victim and her cousin were returning home from a nearby bar.
As they arrived at their gate in Ongallo village, a grey Toyota Axio suddenly appeared and three men armed with machetes attacked.
"On May 12, 2025, an unsuspecting victim left Billionaires Bar and Restaurant at Kisiani Market with her cousin, both heading home on board a tuk-tuk. Just as they reached their gate in Ongallo village, fate took a sinister turn. A grey Toyota Axio suddenly pulled up, and before they could react, three machete-wielding men stormed out.
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"The victim was yanked away like a lamb to slaughter, thrown into the waiting vehicle, while her cousin managed to flee. With ruthless efficiency, the gang sped off towards Kisiani Junction and later started demanding money through the victim’s phone as they drove deeper into the darkness," the statement read.
The victim was later found hours later, gang-raped and robbed of her phone and other valuables.
The brutal attack prompted an urgent investigation that led detectives to Kisumu City Centre where they spotted the grey Toyota Axio.
It was then when a high-speed chase ensued, but it was not long before it ended.
"Determined to turn the tide against this gang, detectives launched an extensive manhunt, following forensic clues that led them straight to Kisumu City Centre. As luck would have it, their prey surfaced: the grey Toyota Axio KDA 019U, recklessly darting through traffic from Kisumu Patel Junction towards Kondele, oblivious to the trap closing in.
"What followed was a car chase, with the gang hurtling through the streets like cornered rats. But their luck ran out when the Axio kissed the pavement, losing control in a chaotic crash," the statement added.
Ongori, believed to be the gang's leader, was arrested at the scene of the crash and revealed the whereabouts of his alleged accomplice after an interrogation.
"Fredrick Oduor Ongori, the driver and apparent ringleader, was nabbed on the spot. Under intense interrogation, he cracked, leading detectives to Obunga slums, where his partner-in-crime, John Okumu Owidhi, alias Matools, was also apprehended," the statement further read.
Detectives further discovered that both men are jailbreak fugitives who had previously evaded capture and remained on the police radar.
“Now in custody, the duo faces the full force of the law as detectives widen the net to arrest more accomplices,” the statement concluded.
