Makutano residents storm police post, lynch murder suspect

Irate residents of Makutano in West Pokot stormed a police post, forcibly took away a murder suspect and lynched him.

The suspect, Samuel Kemoi Wamalwa, 25, was being held at the post pending transfer to a police station in Trans Nzoia East.

The deceased is said to have been part of a gang that kidnapped and killed a student before stealing his motorcycle two weeks ago.

The student was on his way home from school.

Area OCPD Kipkemboi Kirui said the mob forced their way to the station, took the suspect and assaulted him just a few metres from the post.

"The suspect was in police custody but the mob that had surged outside the post overpowered the officers, who were escorting him to Kapenguria police station," Kirui said.

He said efforts by police officers who were at the station to control the mob were unsuccessful.

"The officers lobbed tear gas canisters to disperse the crowd, but they overpowered the police officers and killed the suspect," he said.

Kirui said in the process, three officers sustained injuries. One officer lost his tooth, another sustained a bruised wrist while the other one suffered injuries on the right rib and both knees.

The mob further damaged the windscreen and the driver's window of the police vehicles in a scenario that saw other officers lose their phones.

The scene was processed, and the deceased's body moved to Kapenguria County Referral Hospital mortuary pending a postmortem.

The OCPD said they are investigating the matter and called on residents not to take the law into their hands.

There has been an increase in incidences of insecurity involving theft of motorbikes and murders.

Residents said the daring gang threaten to kill those who dare report them to the aiuthorities.

In some cases, the gangs storm market places, steal phones and force women to give out passwords before their cash is transferred.

"If you identify them, they kill you. We struggle to educate our children, but thugs steal from us. Boda boda riders should take care. It has been a lesson to them today," one of the residents said.