Embu man beaten to death over child's murder

Residents beat a labourer man to death on Sunday morning and torched his house after the body of a missing boy was found under his bed.

During the attack in Kinamba estate, the suspect's mother was seriously injured after the mob set on her after she tried to rescue her middle-aged son accused of the murder.

The Class 2 pupil's semi-naked body was found under the suspect's bed on Sunday morning.

It’s feared that the suspect sexually abused the pupil, then strangled him to death. 

The child went missing on Saturday. 

Neighbour James Mwangi said that efforts to search the suspect’s house failed after he locked the gate to the main houses.

On Sunday morning the residents broke in.

“On checking the house we found the semi-naked body of the minor lying under the bed and residents of the public turned against the accused beating him to death,” he said.

Neighbour Ann Wambui called the murder beastly.

The suspect was a casual labourer in the estate 10km from Naivasha town.

She said the suspect was using drugs before the crime was committed.

“He first threatened us with death if we dared enter the house on Saturday evening but we had a feeling that he knew the whereabouts of the boy,” she said.

Naivasha deputy OCPD John Kwasa said the bodies had been collected and taken to Naivasha sub-county hospital mortuary.

The mother of the suspect was taken to a hospital, treated and discharged.

(Edited by V. Graham)