The rising incidents of the crime of kidnapping in Kenya have raised serious security concerns among citizens in general and security agents in particular. The research found out that the most prevalent types of kidnapping were: kidnapping committed by a stranger; inside kidnapping and kidnapping committed by a family member; kidnapping committed by an acquaintance and kidnapping with an intention to access monies from a victim’s automated teller machine. Revenge was the major socio-economic motive for kidnapping whilst ransom payment was the major economic motive. Political rivalry was identified as the key political motive for the kidnapping crime. The main perpetuators of kidnapping were singled out as Kenyan males of age between 18-35 years and not averagely stable economically; strangers, friends and acquaintances, criminal gangs and militia, romantic partners and family members.

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