In a bizarre turn of events, a man suspected of a string of brutal murders in Gem Yala sub-county, Siaya County, was apprehended by police and later lynched by angry residents.
The 40-year-old suspect was arrested on the night of August 6 in the Kibos area of Kisumu County, following a tip-off from locals.
He is believed to be responsible for a series of killings that primarily targeted women and schoolgirls across Gem Yala.
After he was taken to the Yala Police Station on Thursday morning, an angry crowd gathered and demanded that the police hand over the suspect.
Police allegedly complied with the demand, releasing him to the public. The crowd dragged the suspect to the Yala boda boda stage, where they beat him to death.
The mob then soaked his body in fuel and set it ablaze, with many onlookers staying to watch as the fire consumed the body.
Gem Yala Sub-County Police Commander Charles Wafula confirmed the suspect's arrest.
Wafula said that Yala officers, in coordination with their Kisumu counterparts, tracked down and apprehended the suspect on Wednesday night.
“We arrested him in Kibos at a hideout. So we brought him here to the station. But when we left with him, he had given us some information, leading information. When members of the public got wind of it, a huge crowd gathered and blocked the road."
"They confronted us, and at that point, we had no way out. They pulled him away, and mob injustice took place," he said.
He added that residents threatened to burn down the police vehicle, forcing the officers to retreat for their own safety.
"Then they wanted to burn the vehicle. For me, when it gets to that level, there’s nothing you can do. We were headed to a scene based on the information he had given us," Wafula added.
