A 13-year-old boy was found murdered in a shocking incident that sparked mob justice in Kadege village, Nyando, Kisumu County.
According to police reports, the incident began when the mother of the boy, a grade seven pupil at Holo Orucho Primary School, realized he was missing. She had gone to bathe at a nearby river, leaving the boy and his younger sister at home. Upon her return, she could not find him and immediately raised alarm, prompting villagers to begin a search.
The boy’s body was later discovered about 200 meters from their homestead, showing clear signs of strangulation on the neck. Shockingly, a four-month-old baby was also found abandoned but alive in a nearby thicket.
During the search, suspicion quickly fell on a 30-year-old woman, identified as a close acquaintance of the boy’s mother. She had earlier approached the mother, claiming that strangers wanted to talk to her, a request that the mother declined. Villagers forced the woman to join the search team, but when the boy’s lifeless body was recovered, the crowd turned against her.
In a fit of anger and suspicion, the mob attacked the woman with stones and twigs, killing her on the spot. Authorities later identified her as Joan Akech. While the exact motive behind the boy’s murder remains unclear, villagers accused her of being directly involved. Both bodies were taken to the mortuary for autopsy as investigations continue.
Police condemned the lynching, urging communities to avoid taking the law into their own hands and instead hand over suspects to the authorities for due process.
In separate incidents reported over the same weekend, a 65-year-old man was found strangled along the Nganduri-Kiritiri road in Gachoka, Embu County. The deceased, identified as Samuel Njiru, had no immediate known motive for his killing, and police have launched investigations.
Meanwhile, in Ekwanda, Luanda, Vihiga County, another murder case was reported after the body of Bernard Chiyoi was discovered in his bed with deep head wounds. Police suspect foul play and are pursuing leads.
The spate of killings has raised concern over rising insecurity and mob justice across rural communities, with authorities emphasizing the need for patience and lawful handling of suspects.
