Residents of Kamaindi location, Tharaka Nithi County have killed a Government official by butchering him and setting his body ablaze for a mistake committed by the brother.
Reports by Daily Nation indicated that the furious residents killed their chief, Japhet Mayau Mukengu following a dispute that ensued in December 2018.
The locals alleged that the chief's brother, Gikware Mukengu, had murdered a villager and detained some of his goats.
The villager had gone missing in December 2018 and three weeks later, his skeleton was found near River Thuci.
Residents had wanted the chief's brother to return the goats he had taken but he had refused. When they reported the case to the Deputy Commissioner, he told them that the chief would handle the matter.
It is then that the residents got angry and went to Mukengu's house with the aim of lynching him. However, he managed to escape.
The chief then arrived at the scene and immediately the villagers slashed him using pangas and later set his body ablaze.
“The chief, his brother and their sons have not been in good terms with the villagers who accuse them of torturing them and grabbing their lands,” a source told the publication.
Tharaka-Nithi County Commissioner, Beverly Opwora, confirmed the incident citing that the police were probing the matter.
"The chief was killed by angry residents but our officers are on the ground gathering information to ascertain the allegations," she stated.
Update 7:00pm
The DCI indicated that tree suspects had been arrested by Detectives following the brutal killing of 57yr-old Japhet Mayau Mukengu;Chief for Kamaindi Location in #TharakaNithi County.
DCI further confirmed that the Chief had gone to settle a case when the suspects attacked him with pangas before setting his body on fire.
