NAIROBI — Kenyan police have cast serious doubt on the reported abduction of Juja Member of Parliament George Koimburi, after key witnesses and institutions failed to back the account.
The National Police Service (NPS), in a statement issued on Tuesday, said both the hospital that treated Koimburi and the caretaker of the coffee farm where he was allegedly found unconscious have denied any knowledge of such an incident.
Moses Kariuki, the caretaker of the farm which is owned by businessman and former presidential aspirant Jimmy Wanjigi told investigators he neither saw the MP nor witnessed any activity suggesting someone had been abandoned there.
“I didn’t see anyone being dumped or lying in distress,” Kariuki told officers, according to police sources familiar with the inquiry.
Police also visited Plainview Hospital in Ruiru, where Koimburi was reportedly treated after being “rescued.” But hospital staff could not provide clear details about the treatment he received or the extent of his alleged injuries.
The hospital confirmed that Koimburi arrived in a car registered in his name. The vehicle was reportedly driven by a woman identified as Frida Njeri, said to be the first to respond at the scene. Beyond that, police say, documentation of his condition was limited.
An amateur video showing a man believed to be the MP lying in a coffee plantation began circulating online on 26 May, prompting public concern and calls for answers. But detectives say the terrain in the footage doesn’t match the location Koimburi claims he was abandoned.
A forensic team from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) has since been deployed to examine the scene more closely. “Discrepancies have emerged between the alleged location and the video clip,” said a senior officer involved in the case.
Police are treating the matter with caution, especially in light of recent developments.
Koimburi had been under investigation in a land fraud case. According to police, the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) had already approved charges. Just days before his reported abduction, Koimburi allegedly fled arrest by escaping on a motorbike with his private security team and switching off his phone.
His driver, stopped by police separately, was detained briefly before being released after recording a statement.
Koimburi reappeared on 26 May, the same day the video went viral.
“We are committed to getting to the bottom of this,” the NPS said in its statement. “The investigation is being handled with the highest standards of professionalism.”
So far, police have recorded statements from five individuals connected to the incident. Officers say they are still waiting to speak with the MP, but have been blocked from seeing him by his family.
The case continues to stir public debate, with critics accusing authorities of mishandling a potential crime and supporters of the MP insisting he was targeted for political reasons.
But for now, as facts remain unclear and evidence remains elusive, the story of George Koimburi’s disappearance and reappearance remains far from settled.
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