Residents of Marachi in Butula, Busia County, lynched two men after linking them to a violent gang that had earlier attacked mourners during a night vigil at a funeral. The incident, which unfolded on Sunday, left at least five people injured before villagers retaliated against the suspects.
According to witnesses, chaos began when a gang descended on a group of mourners, disrupting the funeral vigil and assaulting several people. The motive of the attack was not immediately clear, but locals claimed that similar incidents have become common in the area, with gangs targeting vulnerable groups gathered at cultural events.
Angered by the assault, villagers pursued two of the suspected attackers. In a moment of mob fury, the men were cornered and stoned to death. Their bodies were later dumped along the Bumala-Butula Road in what was seen as both a warning to other gang members and a show of defiance against the rising insecurity.
Police officers arrived at the scene later and transferred the bodies to the mortuary for postmortem examinations. Authorities condemned the killings, urging the public to refrain from mob justice and instead hand over suspects for lawful prosecution. They emphasized that while attacks at funeral vigils and other social gatherings have been on the rise, taking the law into one’s own hands only fuels further violence.
Local security officials attributed the surge in vigil-related gang attacks to entrenched cultural practices that make night gatherings vulnerable. Despite ongoing efforts to strengthen community policing and security patrols, fear of gangs has continued to push residents into acts of retaliation.
In a separate incident in Taita Taveta, police launched investigations after the decomposed body of a 62-year-old woman was discovered in a bush behind the county hall. The woman, who had been missing for several days, is suspected to have been sexually abused before her death. Detectives processed the scene and moved the body to the mortuary pending autopsy, as investigations into her murder continue.
Meanwhile, in Bomet County, police arrested a suspect linked to the killing of a woman in March. Authorities said the suspect had been hiding for months before his capture. He is expected to face murder charges, with police pursuing additional suspects in the case.
The three incidents highlight the growing concern over violent crime in rural Kenya and the dangers of mob justice, with authorities calling for calm, vigilance, and adherence to the rule of law.
