Kenya is witnessing a disturbing rise in incidents of mob justice, with multiple suspects killed in separate lynching cases since the start of the week. In Nairobi alone, at least five suspects have been killed by angry mobs in various parts of the city, sparking renewed concerns about public safety and vigilante justice.
The most recent and gruesome case occurred in the Parklands area on Tuesday, June 17, where two men were stoned to death and their bodies set ablaze after an alleged robbery attempt. Police reports indicate that three men riding a motorcycle snatched a mobile phone from a woman before being pursued by local boda boda riders. The chase culminated on Second Avenue where the two pillion passengers were caught, beaten, and set on fire. The motorcycle rider managed to escape. Police later arrived at the scene and moved the charred remains to the mortuary for autopsy and identification.
In a similar case earlier in the week, two suspects were lynched in the Dandora area of Nairobi. The men, also on a motorcycle, were involved in a failed robbery when members of the public cornered and killed them, burning their bodies in a chilling act of mob violence.
Another incident took place in Kileleshwa along the Rhapta-Church road. A man, reportedly impersonating a Nairobi County Government enforcement officer, was attacked by a mob after he and his accomplices attempted to harass street vendors. The mob responded to the vendors’ distress calls, stoning the man and setting his body alight. His accomplice was rescued and taken to hospital under police custody. The deceased was moved to the mortuary pending further investigation.
Outside Nairobi, violence also erupted in Kathima village, Mai Mahiu, Nakuru County, where a man suspected of theft was stoned and his body set on fire by villagers. The community accused him of being involved in frequent robberies in the area. Police are investigating the incident and have transferred the body to the local mortuary.
Meanwhile, in Kakamega County, a domestic dispute turned deadly when a man, Kevin Walaba, was attacked with a panga by his neighbor following an argument over a cow that had wandered into a maize field. Walaba sustained severe injuries and died upon arrival at the hospital. In retaliation, angry villagers torched the home of the suspected attacker, who later surrendered to the police and was arrested. Authorities are treating the case as murder.
These incidents highlight a troubling trend in Kenya where communities, frustrated by crime and limited law enforcement response, are taking justice into their own hands. Police continue to urge the public to avoid vigilante actions and report criminal activity through legal channels.
