Two suspects are due in court on Wednesday over the alleged kidnapping of a nine-month-old baby girl from her father in Saika, Nairobi.
The arrest followed a desperate appeal from the girl's father Timon Makswell in a Facebook post on February 27.
It was quickly picked up by KOT using the hashtag #JusticeForBabyTamara, bringing it to the DCI's attention.
"Dear #KOT, Detectives from the Child Protection Unit have rescued #BabyTamara & arrested two culprits. The baby is in safe hands & the two suspects are in lawful custody and will be arraigned in court tomorrow. Thank you all for bringing this to our attention," the DCI said in a tweet Tuesday night.
According to Makswell, the little girl was left in his custody after her mother's untimely death in October last year.
She developed complications following a cesarean section.
Makswell said her late wife warned him against leaving their daughter in the custody of any of her relatives upon her death.
But Maxwell said she failed to keep the promise after her wife's sister and uncle colluded with rogue police officers at Spring Valley police station in Saika.
Maxwell gave the name of the said wife's sister as Annette Kimuomi.
He said five cops threatened to shoot him at the station after the duo orchestrated his arrest on trumped up claims that he had kidnapped his own daughter.
"Annette Kimuomi had told the officers that Rena died of HIV and that Tamara was born positive."
"So the officer told me that these people have money and they can do anything so if I know what is good for me then I should give them the child," he said.
Makswell said he stood his ground and refused to give up his daughter but he eventually succumbed after the threats to shoot him persisted.
"I gave in, because this is the only way I could have lived to fight this off."
"To my late wife Rena, am really sorry I have failed you, I was not able to keep the only last promise I made to you before you left this world of keeping our baby Tamara safe, away from danger and taking care of her," Makswell said in the long post.
"To my little girl Tamara, daddy is really sorry I could not be able to take care of you any longer. I know I have failed you," he added.
Makswell said a cousin to her late wife told him that his in-laws intended to use his daughter to ask for funds from donors under the guise that she was an orphan. They have done so with two other kids, he said.
"This is when I realized why Rena had insisted that our child should not be taken by anyone but should stay with me," he said.
Under section 257 of the Penal Code, a person found guilty of kidnapping a child from lawful guardianship is guilty of a felony and is liable to imprisonment for seven years.
