Two suspects escaped lynching at Kandene village in Meru County for allegedly stealing a goat.
According to reports, the suspects were apprehended near a speed bump, and when they realized they were being pursued, they unloaded the goat from a stolen motorcycle and sped away to a nearby police camp where they were locked up.
One of the suspects said the motorcycle he was riding belonged to a man named Kimathi. He said that he was stooped by another man driving a Probox car who assigned him the task of carrying a goat.
“I asked another man passing by who I knew to assist me in loading the goat into the motorcycle, promising to pay him Ksh 200 of the Ksh 700 I was to be paid,” said the suspect.
“Shortly after, we noticed motorcyclists approaching us and accusing us of stealing. When the driver of the Probox car saw them approaching, he sped away and nearly ran us over.
“We hopped on the motorcycle and sped off to a nearby police camp,” said the suspect.
An eyewitness demanded that the officers hand the suspects over to the members of the community so that they could lynch them.
According to another eyewitness, members of the community were counting their losses after their goats, motorcycles, and wives were stolen.
He said that a suspect from Muboi village in Tigania had recently been lynched.
“It appears that the police have failed to perform their duties, and we decided to take the law into our own hands. Members of the community are tired of investing in their ventures only to lose them to thieves later,” said the eyewitness.
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Another eyewitness claimed that thieves caused immense suffering to boda boda operators and their customers. He said that the operators threatened to lynch suspects if the government did not improve security.
According to another eyewitness, the suspects were not from Kandebene village. He claimed that, like them, there were many visitors who posed as businessmen but were actually thieves.
“The alleged businessmen break into hardware stores at night and steal everything. We’ve agreed as a community to lynch any suspects we come across, he said.
Senior chief, Ngaremara, Tigani East said the village of Kandebene had been invaded by thieves, who were causing losses to members of the community. He implored the government to increase the number of police officers stationed in Muthamba, Kandebene and Kisima police camps so that there could be adequate security.
“I urge boda boda operators in Kandene village to conduct background checks on customers, particularly at night, before transporting them,” said the chief.
Kariithi, the owner of the stolen motorcycle, confirmed ownership after sending the chassis number to the company where he purchased it.
“Earlier, I discovered Kariithi’s stolen motorcycle with a group of four gang members, including the two suspects who were apprehended,” said another eyewitness.
“When I confronted them, they brandished a dagger at me. The remaining two members of the gang are still at large,” he said
The chief said that a lady who was seen being carried by the suspects on multiple occasions was arrested to assist with the investigations.
He thanked Mr. Karanja, the sub-county commander, for his prompt response following a report to him where he dispatchied his vehicles and notified the CID, who arrived on time.
