A supermarket in Bomet is on the spot after its staff beat a man to death for allegedly stealing a box containing a dozen tins of shoe polish valued at Ksh1500.
Benjamin Korir is said to have tried to shoplift a carton of shoe polish before he was caught by the Green Rose Supermarket staff who rained blows on him until he passed out.
The Nation reported that the supermarket staff poured water on him in a bid to make him regain consciousness.
After he woke up they handed him over to the Bomet police station.
“The man was brought in on by two employees of the supermarket using a boda-boda and they claimed that the victim had been beaten by a mob following the theft,” stated Naomi Ichami, the Bomet County Police Commander.
On Friday, residents stormed the establishment in search of answers after they got wind that the victim had died while undergoing treatment at the Bomet Sub-County Hospital.
“Investigations into the incident have commenced and we will take necessary action against the attackers as no one should take the law into their hands,” Ichami added.
“It has come out clearly that the management is attempting to cover up the incident with claims of the victim having been subjected to mob justice. No one, not even the owners of adjacent business premises or boda-boda riders can collaborate the claim,” revealed Tyson Saitoti a human rights activist.
Kibet Cheruiyot, the proprietor, declined to speak on the matter while acting manager Jenniffer Chelangat claimed that she did not have authority to speak to the press.
Members of the public still insist that the 23-year-old victim was beaten by the supermarket staff.
