Residents lynch two suspected motorcycle thieves, torch vehicle

A mob lynched two suspected motorcycle thieves and set their vehicle ablaze in Kaitui on the Kericho–Kipsitet road.

Soin OCPD Lawrence Kasini, said the suspects were pursued by boda boda riders from Lwanda in the neighboring Kisumu County after being linked to motorcycle theft.

“On reaching Kapkawa area in Kericho County, more motorcycle riders joined the chase,” Kasini said.

The suspects attempted to speed off in their vehicle towards Kapsoit, but they encountered a roadblock and made a U-turn, only to be cornered by the mob at Kaitui.

A third suspect shot one villager before fleeing into the nearby sugarcane plantations. Police have since launched a manhunt for the suspect.

A resident, Beckham Kibet believes the suspects were part of a criminal gang that has been terrorising families in Kapsoit and its environs. “Their day of reckoning came today,” he said.

During the mayhem, a resident sustained a gunshot wound to the head under unclear circumstances and was rushed to the hospital for treatment.

Police have cautioned the public against taking the law into their own hands and assured that investigations are underway to apprehend the suspect and dismantle the gang.