Billionaire Jaswant Rai Released by Alleged Kidnappers

Businessman Jaswant Singh Rai has been released by his alleged kidnappers, his lawyer Kioko Kilukumi has said.

The Kabras Sugar owner was freed days after being taken hostage by armed men in broad daylight at the intersection of Wood Avenue and Lenana Road.

CCTV footage from Friday evening at around 5:30 p.m. showed a Toyota Landcruiser V8 along Wood Avenue, 10 seconds later, a double cab pick-up was seen speeding and overlapping before blocking the Toyota Landcruiser at the junction of Wood Avenue and Lenana Road.

In the footage doing rounds on social media, the gang is seen leaving their vehicle before heading straight to Rai’s vehicle.

They flung the door open and took the driver with them to the waiting double cab pick-up. Rai’s car was left at scene of incident.

Kilimani Sub-County Police Commander Moses Ndiwa told a local news outlet that police were notified of an abandoned vehicle along the busy road at least an hour later after the incident. The Toyota Landcruiser was then towed to the station pending probe.

Ndiwa also stated that a member of the Rai family filed a missing person report at the station on Saturday.

The police boss also dispelled claims that law enforcement officers were behind the alleged kidnapping.

On Sunday, President William Ruto linked the tycoon to a group of cartels that he accused of thwarting the government’s efforts to reform the sugar industry.

“Kwa hivyo msikuwe na wasiwasi niko hapo chonjo kabisa nitahakikisha hii kitu inakaa chonjo na wakora wote wako hapo katikati msikuwe na wasiwasi kuna mtu atakuja kutuongelesha kiingereza hapa sijui mhindi fulani sijui nani ni nani, mwengine ananiambia Rai, Rai ni nani hapana hiyo haiwezekani hiyo No hii ni mali ya wananchi na hatuezi kukubali mtu ambaye ata take advantage of people in this region,” Ruto said in Bungoma.