A shocking incident unfolded in Musanda, Mumias, Kakamega County, when two robbery suspects were burnt to death in a botched attack on a shop. The attack, which took place on Tuesday morning, left a shop attendant seriously injured but stable after he bravely resisted the assailants and raised an alarm.
According to witnesses, a group of four men stormed the shop with the intent to rob. In the process, they confronted the attendant, who fought back despite sustaining injuries. His resistance drew attention, and he quickly alerted locals by raising an alarm. Responding to the call, members of the community rushed to the scene and confronted the attackers. Two of the suspects were caught and set ablaze, while the other two managed to escape.
The injured shop attendant was rushed to a nearby hospital, where he was reported to be in stable condition. Police later moved the charred remains of the two suspects to the mortuary for postmortem examination.
Authorities have expressed concern over the rise in cases of mob justice across Kakamega and neighboring counties. While acknowledging public frustration with rising crime, police have urged residents not to take the law into their own hands. Instead, they are calling on communities to surrender suspects to law enforcement for proper investigation and prosecution.
This incident follows a similar case in Butula, Busia County, where two young men were lynched after a gang allegedly attacked mourners during a funeral vigil. The enraged villagers pursued and stoned the suspects to death before dumping their bodies along the road as a warning to others. Police later recovered the bodies for autopsy.
Such cases highlight a worrying trend of mob lynching in rural and urban areas alike. Experts warn that while communities may view it as an immediate solution to insecurity, mob justice undermines the rule of law and risks targeting innocent people. Law enforcement agencies have since launched campaigns in hotspot regions, sensitizing residents on the dangers of mob justice and urging collaboration with security officers to curb rising crime.
As investigations continue into the Kakamega robbery attempt, police maintain their appeal for calm, stressing that justice must be served through legal processes rather than violent retribution.
