On Wednesday evening, business activities in Makutano Township, Kapenguria, came to a halt after an angry mob killed and burned a middle-aged man who they suspected to be a thug.
The man had been in police custody at Makutano police post and was being transferred to Kapenguria police station when the mob stormed the police post and snatched the suspect from the police.
According to Kapenguria Officer Commanding Police Station [OCPD] Kipkoech Kirui, the irate mob of about 700 people started beating the suspect with stones and pieces of wood until he died about 100 meters away from the police post.
Despite the police officers’ efforts to control the mob, they were overpowered, and three officers were injured in the process.
The deceased was suspected of being a member of a gang that had been stealing motorbikes and killing people in the town.
The residents claimed that the man had killed a student of Pser secondary school, who was found dumped in Cherangany a few days before the incident.
The body was burned using polythene papers, rugs, and sacks.
OCPD Kirui urged the locals not to take the law into their own hands but instead report any suspect to the police. He further stated that the police were trying to end theft in the area and called for cooperation from the locals.
The body was moved to Kapenguria county referral hospital mortuary awaiting a postmortem.
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