A brutal lynching of a man by an irate mob has taken place in the Tayari area, Molo sub-county. The act, which the police and witnesses have confirmed, is a clear indication of the public taking the law into their own hands, which is a growing concern in several parts of Kenya.
The man was reportedly caught stealing chickens from the neighbors’ yard, which set off a very quick and violent reaction from the whole community.
It was on Monday afternoon when the incident started, according to witnesses. An old resident who was the homeowner raised an alarm when she discovered that some of the chickens in her compound were missing.
Soon enough, residents were all around the suspect, who was making an attempt to run away; they cornered him and started hitting him very badly. The intervention attempts could not save the victim, as the mob’s attack had already caused death before the police were able to get to the place and control the situation.
The area chief, Hassan Waweru, told local media that the victim was dead due to injuries inflicted by the mob before police arrived.
Waweru condemned the killing and said that communities are suffering from a lessened perception of safety caused by a perceived rise in criminal acts, but that neither one nor the other justifies outside-the-law retaliations, which are illegal and counterproductive. He encouraged the public to report suspects to the security authorities so that due process is followed and violent escalations are stopped.
The body of the deceased was transferred by officers from Molo Police Station later to Molo Level 4 Hospital mortuary, where it would be kept until a post-mortem examination is done, and this is part of an ongoing police inquiry.
The authorities made it known that inquiries are being conducted and also indicated that any person or persons who are found to have been involved in the mob killing will be charged, among other things, with murder, as the Kenyan law very clearly states that extrajudicial punishment is not allowed.
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