•Police bosses have asked officers to come up with ways of containing the trend.
•Members of the public had received information that the two had stolen cows from Embu.
Image: FILE
Police bosses are alarmed by rising cases of mob attacks in the country that have left dozens of people dead and others with serious injuries.
Some of the victims who were targeted in the attacks were later found to be innocent after they were caught up in confusion.
Police headquarters has sounded an alarm to commanders on the ground asking them to come up with ways of containing the trend.
This was after it emerged over 20 people have been killed through mob attacks that have also left over 30 people injured in the last one week.
Among those killed is a (supposedly) known jailbird Said Zakaria, 35, who was early this week killed by a mob following a botched robbery in Dandora Phase III.
Zakaria, an ex-convict, is said to have been among a group of thugs who attacked a woman and tried to rob her of her valuables on Monday.
Police said they had been informed the deceased attempted to rob an unidentified woman and in the process, he had stabbed her in the head before her screams alerted the public who responded and subjected him to mob injustice fatally injuring him.
Festus Munene Kimathi, 24, was also lynched in Munyi village, Timau in Meru after he was allegedly found with a stolen sheep. Police recovered his motorcycle and phone.
Two other people were last Sunday lynched in Riagicheru in Mwea West and the vehicle they were travelling in burnt down.
Members of the public had received information that the two had stolen cows from Embu.
Samuel Chege was attacked by a mob in Acacia area, Ongata Rongai and sustained serious injuries and was later admitted to hospital where he died after being accused of trying to steal from a home in the area.
In Kibra, Ali Dache, 35, was also killed following a botched robbery. Two others were killed in Lucky Summer and Karatina on Wednesday.
In Imenti North, Evans Bundi was attacked and seriously injured when he was found with a stolen goat valued at Sh7,000. Officers rescued him and took him to Giaki Level IV hospital.
In Nyangoso, Nyamira, Kelvin Kirimi, 27, was attacked and killed by a mob after he was allegedly found trying to break into a house.
In Webuye, Lawrence Juma, 42, was injured when the public attacked him on allegations that he was a thief.
Ten others were attacked and seriously injured in Meru, Nyamira, Muhoroni, Hindi in Lamu West, Machakos, Inuka and Kasarani during the same period.
Police said all the victims were men aged between 23 and 26.
Police spokesman Resila Onyango said the trend is worrying and advised the public against taking the law into their own hands.
“Mob lynching is criminal and we have taken action on some of the incidents and arrested those behind the same,” she said.
She advised that those arrested over claims of stealing be surrendered to authorities for processing.
Officials say the public resort to such actions for lack of trust in police or out of desperation for increased crime.
Onyango said they plan a civic education programme to address the menace.
This comes in the wake of increased deployment of undercover detectives in the city, as police take steps to destabilize criminal gangs that regroup after general elections.
Interestingly, despite the increase in such cases none of the perpetrators has so far been brought to book, raising fears that vigilantism is becoming an accepted delivery mechanism for imparting justice.
Kenyans have also not come out to condemn the menace and instead supported it and further attributed it to a number of factors including increased crime rate, and a lack of faith in the police and judicial system to properly handle suspected criminals as a result of corruption.