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Saturday, July 5, 2025
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Granny by day, gangster by night

Granny by day, gangster by nightDuring the day, 80-year old Wambui Muturi was a devout Catholic and an unassuming granny.

At night, the grandmother ran a kidnapping ring that had terrorised Mt Kenya residents and whose tentacles, police believe, extended to Nairobi.

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She was gunned down alongside her accomplices in Gatundu village, Murangโ€™a County, on Friday.

A woman they had kidnapped was rescued.

Ms Muturi, Mr John Mwangi and Mr Samuel Kangโ€™ethe were demanding Sh5 million as ransom from their victimโ€™s family.

Mr Kangโ€™ethe was the elderly womanโ€™s nephew. Ms Margaret Waithera had been held for six days when police stormed the compound and killed the three.

COMPLICATED PERSONALITY

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โ€œThe cucu (granny) was the one cooking for me. She also threatened to have me circumcised,โ€ Ms Waithera told theย Nation.

Chatting with neighbours and administrators reveals an old woman withย  a complicated personality.

Crime runs in Ms Muturiโ€™s family.

According to Gatundu chief John Wachira, two of the womanโ€™s sons died at the hands of lynch mobs while another was shot dead by police officers in Nairobi.

Another died after a short illness, leaving behind two daughters. Ms Muturiโ€™s husband died years ago. Mr Wachira said the killing of her sons changed the granny completely.

SECRET

โ€œShe became reclusive,โ€ the administrator told reporters.

Mr John Mwangi, a Gatundu resident, said the granny did not get along with villagers.

โ€œShe did everything in secret. In fact, some people thought she was a witch,โ€ Mr Mwangi said.

Ms Waithera said the old woman would prepare dry rice or boiled maize and tea for breakfast.

โ€œShe would threaten to circumcise me or cut off my hands if I did not cooperate with the kidnappers,โ€ Ms Waithera said.

CRIMINAL

Murangโ€™a County police boss Mohammed Farah said signals from the kidnappersโ€™ mobile phones helped track them.

Mrs Muturiโ€™s daughter, Margaret Wanjiru, said she did not know her mother was a criminal.

โ€œI call on well-wishers to assist the family bury her. Despite the circumstances, she was still a mother and needs a proper sendoff,โ€ she said.

-nation.co.ke

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