On Wednesday, July 10, in Gachocho village, Murang’a County, residents took violent action at a police patrol base.

Angry locals threw stones at officers who fled, then forcibly removed and killed a murder suspect from the cells.

People in the area expressed deep distrust in the local police, feeling that they needed to take justice into their own hands.

Police chief Kiprono Tanui explained that the trouble began with a fight among three brothers the previous night, which tragically led to one brother’s death.

When police tried to arrest a suspect, neighbors armed themselves and stormed the patrol base, demanding custody of the suspect.

The police refused, and a chaotic clash erupted, with the crowd using crude weapons like catapults.

The deceased were identified as Kibugu wa Richard and Maina wa Richard, the latter killed at the police post.

Despite efforts by law enforcement to control the situation, they couldn’t save the suspect, who was fatally injured by the mob.

Authorities stopped efforts to bury the body immediately, opting for a postmortem and ongoing investigations.

Family spokesperson Elijah Nduati expressed sadness over the incident and ongoing family tensions, including a missing son.

Police are investigating the incident, admitting mistakes in detaining suspects at unofficial patrol bases.

Community policing member Martin Mburu from Nyumba Kumi described the overwhelming crowd that forced police to retreat, leading to the suspect’s extrajudicial killing.

This event highlights a loss of faith in local law enforcement.

Senator Joe Nyutu condemned the incident as a breakdown in the rule of law, urging better accountability and fair treatment in police actions.

He mentioned similar frustrations with theft cases resulting in vigilante justice, stressing the need to rebuild trust in the legal system and manage security matters properly.

This incident underscores wider issues of community mistrust in law enforcement and the dangers of mob justice in addressing local problems.

It emphasizes the importance of strengthening legal procedures to protect public safety and ensure justice for everyone.

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