Meru, Kenya- Police in Laare, Meru County, have arrested six additional suspects linked to the December 1, 2025 gang-rape incident that shocked the country and was partially captured on camera.
The new arrests bring the total number of suspects in custody to nine.
According to officers at Laare Police Station, the attack happened as a group of nearly 100 men took part in a traditional circumcision procession in Laare Town, Igembe North. A distress call from residents reported that a young woman was being attacked.
Responding swiftly, officers arrived to find the victim in distress — her clothes torn, her spirit broken, and her life in danger. She was immediately rushed to Nyambene Hospital for treatment.
A forensic-led manhunt followed, with police conducting coordinated raids in Irinde, Lubwa, and Kiarama, where they flushed out the suspects:
Dennis Mwirigi, Ismael Gichuge, Elijah Muriki, Isaac Ntomauta, Joseph Marete, and Phineas Mutali.
They now join three suspects arrested earlier and are being processed ahead of arraignment as detectives continue to pursue additional attackers.
Wave of Sexual Violence Reported in Syokimau, Moiben, and Kirinyaga
Even as Meru investigators tighten their net, police in Syokimau are pursuing a gang that raped a woman, her daughter, and their housegirl during a Monday morning home invasion.
The attackers also stole assorted items before fleeing. Police say the victims are in stable condition as the hunt for the gang intensifies.
In Moiben, Uasin Gishu County, another woman was gang-raped after a motorcycle rider diverted from the Moiben–Kapcherop highway and steered her into a maize plantation.
There, about ten men lay waiting — at least five of whom raped her before she escaped and was rescued by good Samaritans. No arrests have been made.
Police in Kirinyaga have also arrested three suspects connected to the murder and gang-rape of a woman who died on November 22.
Authorities report a worrying surge in rape incidents nationwide, prompting an urgent push to identify and dismantle the gangs behind the violence.
Nationwide Concern as Police Race to Contain Crime Pattern
The string of brutal sexual attacks has intensified calls for accountability and stronger community protection. Detectives say investigations are active in all the affected regions, with more arrests expected.
