Two young men were lynched by an enraged mob on Thursday evening in Thiba Village, Mwea West Sub-county, Kirinyaga County, in a brutal act of mob justice over alleged involvement in a string of shop break-ins.
The victims, identified as Brian Kihara (21) and Benson Wanjohi (22), were accused of being part of a five-member gang believed to be behind a series of burglaries in Thiba and neighbouring villages. According to eyewitnesses, tensions had been mounting in the community over a perceived lack of police action despite repeated reports of theft.
At around 4 p.m., a mob stormed Diambo Estate in Ngurubani Town and forcibly dragged the two suspects to Thiba North football ground along the Mwea–Embu Highway. There, in front of a large crowd, the two were reportedly interrogated and subsequently set on fire.
“We have been reporting these cases, but nothing is ever done. That’s why we decided to take the law into our own hands,” said a villager, speaking on behalf of a group of more than 100 residents. Some members of the crowd reportedly warned security officials against intervening or photographing the scene.
Thiba Location Chief Leah Wamutira confirmed the identities of the deceased and condemned the lynching, warning against vigilante justice. “This is a tragic example of the dangers of mob justice. I strongly urge the public to report criminal activity to law enforcement authorities rather than resorting to such extreme actions,” she said.
The bodies were transported to Kerugoya Mortuary, where postmortems will be conducted. Police have launched investigations into the killings and are appealing for information to identify others involved in the incident.
Written By Rodney Mbua
