NAIROBI, Kenya — A disturbing surge in mob justice incidents has led to the deaths of several suspects across Nairobi and other parts of the country, with victims often stoned and their bodies set ablaze in botched robberies and other alleged crimes.
In the latest reported incident, two suspects were stoned to death and their bodies set on fire on Tuesday, June 17, following a botched mobile phone snatching in the Parklands area of Nairobi.
Police confirmed that three men on a motorcycle had snatched a phone from an unidentified woman, prompting an alarm.
Other riders in Parklands joined the chase along Second Avenue, successfully flooring the two pillion passengers while the lead rider sped off.
The two grounded suspects were then subjected to mob violence before their bodies were set on fire.
Police arrived minutes later to move the bodies to the mortuary for identification and autopsy.
This grim event is part of a growing trend in Nairobi, where up to five suspects have reportedly been killed by mobs in separate botched robberies since Monday.
In one such incident on Monday, two other suspects riding a motorcycle were similarly lynched and their bodies set on fire in the Dandora area of Nairobi.
Further illustrating the pattern, a man posing as a member of the Nairobi County Government enforcement unit was lynched by a mob on Wednesday evening along the Rhapta-Church road in Kileleshwa.
He and his accomplices, who arrived on a motorcycle, approached vendors who then raised an alarm, quickly attracting a mob.
The crowd cornered one of the men, stoning him to death and setting his body on fire, while a second victim was rescued and rushed to the hospital by police.
This body was also moved to the mortuary pending an autopsy.
Beyond Nairobi, similar incidents of mob justice are being reported.
In Kathima village, Mai Mahiu, Nakuru County, a man accused of theft was stoned to death and his body burnt in a botched robbery on Wednesday afternoon.
Police have moved the body to the mortuary for autopsy and investigations.
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Authorities across the country are grappling with the rising cases of mob lynching, reiterating the critical need for citizens to hand over suspects to law enforcement for proper processing.
Separate incident in Kakamega
Meanwhile, a separate incident of fatal violence occurred in Musoli, Kakamega County, where a man was killed during an altercation with a neighbor.
Witnesses informed police that the dispute, triggered by a cow wandering into a farm and destroying a small maize plantation, turned physical.
The assailant attacked Kevin Walaba with a panga, inflicting deadly injuries before escaping. Walaba was rushed to the hospital but tragically died upon arrival.
Enraged villagers subsequently descended on the assailant’s home and set it ablaze.
The suspect later surrendered himself at a local police station, where he was arrested. Police have initiated a murder investigation into the saga.
