A 13-year-old schoolgirl who was abducted by armed men in the insecurity-prone Yatya village in Baringo County has been rescued in Tiaty, about 60 kilometers from her home.
Baringo County Police Commander Julius Kiragu on Sunday said the Grade Seven pupil at Yatya Primary School was found safe in Nanyang’alam village after a coordinated operation involving locals, security officers and area chiefs.
She had been abducted on Friday afternoon while preparing an afternoon meal with her siblings at home.
“The girl is now safe and is being escorted to Loruk where she will be reunited with her family,” said Mr Kiragu.
One of the suspected abductors has been identified as a resident of Tiaty and a son-in-law to the girl’s family. According to police, the abduction was not related to the ongoing banditry in the region but was instead tied to domestic disputes.
“We have established that the suspect had married a woman from the same village(Yatya) but they separated and she returned to her maternal home after domestic differences. On the day the girl was abducted, the man traveled from his Tiaty village to Yatya to convince his wife and daughter to return to him but his father-in-law refused to release them,” said Mr Kiragu.
Frustrated, the suspect allegedly abducted the girl who a close relative of the family to use her as bait to pressure his in-laws into returning his wife and child.
“We have established that the suspect had paid dowry and believed he was entitled to take his wife and child back. When that was denied, he resorted to abducting the minor in an attempt to coerce the family into a deal. He acted alone out of frustration and has since gone into hiding. We are pursuing him,” added Mr Kiragu.
The abduction triggered widespread outrage in the local community. Angry residents had issued a 24-hour ultimatum to security agencies and local leaders to locate and return the missing girl threatening to stage mass protests if she was not found.
Public anger also spread online, where local professionals and civil society groups criticised political leaders for their silence.
Ms Catherine Bartonjo, a rights activist from Baringo North, said she was disappointed by the silence of elected women leaders over the abduction.
“You would expect that women, especially our leaders, to be vocal about such incidents affecting our girls but they have remained silent," she said.
Mr Kipkemoi Kangogo, also a professional from the region, said: “Imagine what the girl has endured for the past three days, walking on foot through bandit-infested terrain. The trauma she’s been through is unimaginable.”
County Commissioner Stephen Kutwa is expected to formally receive the girl and oversee her reunion with her family.
