38-year-old Musyoka Mutava, suspect linked to a violent highway ambush. Photo DCI 
By Andrew Mbuva
Makindu law enforcement officers have cracked a daring motor vehicle theft case, arresting a key suspect linked to a violent highway ambush that left one motorist injured and his vehicle stolen.
The suspect, identified as 38-year-old Musyoka Mutava, was arrested following a meticulously coordinated pursuit that traced the stolen car to Ukia in Makueni Sub-County.
The drama unfolded when the victim, who was driving a silver Subaru Trezia from Mombasa to Malaba, picked up two hitchhikers in Mariakani. As they approached Kiunduani Market, one of the passengers requested to alight. When the driver slowed down, chaos erupted.
Two attackers suddenly emerged from a nearby thicket, struck the driver with a blunt object, and made away with the vehicle and his personal belongings. The victim was later treated at Makindu Sub-County Hospital and discharged in stable condition.
Acting on forensic intelligence and tactical leads, police officers tracked the vehicle to a remote location in Ukia, where Mutava was arrested. His accomplices managed to flee but left behind critical evidence.
During the operation, officers recovered the stolen vehicle, a getaway motorcycle, two sets of number plates — KDH 486F (previously reported stolen) and KDN 192W — as well as a pair of screwdrivers believed to have been used in the heist.
Mutava is currently in custody awaiting arraignment, as detectives intensify efforts to apprehend the remaining suspects. Authorities say the arrest is a major breakthrough in a string of similar highway robberies in the region.
