During 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.
She was gunned down alongside her accomplices in Gatundu village, Murangโa County, on Friday.
A woman they had kidnapped was rescued.
Ms Muturi, Mr John Mwangi and Mr Samuel Kangโethe were demanding Sh5 million as ransom from their victimโs family.
Mr Kangโethe was the elderly womanโs nephew. Ms Margaret Waithera had been held for six days when police stormed the compound and killed the three.
COMPLICATED PERSONALITY
โThe 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 Muturiโs family.
According to Gatundu chief John Wachira, two of the womanโs 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 Muturiโs husband died years ago. Mr Wachira said the killing of her sons changed the granny completely.
SECRET
โShe became reclusive,โ the administrator told reporters.
Mr John Mwangi, a Gatundu resident, said the granny did not get along with villagers.
โShe 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.
โShe would threaten to circumcise me or cut off my hands if I did not cooperate with the kidnappers,โ Ms Waithera said.
CRIMINAL
Murangโa County police boss Mohammed Farah said signals from the kidnappersโ mobile phones helped track them.
Mrs Muturiโs daughter, Margaret Wanjiru, said she did not know her mother was a criminal.
โI 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