Woman lynched after death of 13-year-old boy in Nyando village, Kisumu

Crime scene./FILE

A 13-year-old boy was found murdered in Kadege village, Nyando, Kisumu County, on Sunday, sparking deadly mob violence that left a woman dead.

According to police, the boy’s mother raised alarm after failing to find her son, a Grade Seven pupil at Holo Orucho Primary School.

She had gone to bathe at a nearby river, leaving the boy at home with his younger sister. When she returned, he was missing.

Her search, with the help of neighbours, led to the shocking discovery of the boy’s body about 200 meters from the homestead.

The child had strangulation marks on his neck, police said. A four-month-old baby was also found abandoned in the thicket but was alive.

Suspicion quickly turned to a 30-year-old woman identified as Joan Akech, a family friend who had earlier approached the mother, claiming two strangers wanted to speak with her.

Villagers, accusing her of involvement in the boy’s death, attacked her with stones and sticks, killing her on the spot before police arrived. Both bodies were taken to the mortuary for autopsy as investigations continue.

Police have condemned the lynching, urging communities to hand over suspects to authorities instead of taking the law into their own hands.

Elsewhere in Nairobi, two more mob justice incidents were reported. In Tena Estate, Buruburu, a man was stoned to death on Sunday morning after being accused of theft.

His body was taken to the mortuary awaiting identification and postmortem examination.

In Soweto, Kayole, another man died in a confrontation after he was shoved against a metal grill by a mob. Witnesses said he sustained fatal head injuries after striking the entrance grill during the scuffle.

Police arrested two suspects in connection with the incident, including one who had earlier been seen arguing with the victim over money.

The body was taken to the mortuary as police launched investigations.

Authorities have raised concern over the rising cases of mob lynching across the country, warning that such actions not only compromise investigations but also put innocent lives at risk.