Angry residents on Wednesday, January 13, descended on the homestead of a trader in Embu burning down four houses, whom they believed was behind the kidnapping and eventual murder of boy in the area.
Confirming the incident, Mbeere North Sub-County Police Commander Kilonzo Kivinda stated that the residents went on a rampage after police discovered the body of a four-year-old boy dumped in the Thuci river.
"The mob became violent and destroyed property owned by the trader over the death of the boy but we are investigating the matter," he stated.
According to the security official, the residents raided the man's shop setting it ablaze using petrol before heading to his homestead where they burnt down all the buildings there.
The mob also uprooted his Muguka crop in their outrage.
The police commander warned the residents against taking the law into their own hands adding that they had arrested the trader for questioning.
We have picked up the trader and he is assisting us with investigations," he stated.
The body of the boy who had gone missing in December 2020, was discovered by criminal investigation officers in between rocks in the river with the tongue missing.
The body was taken to Siakago Hospital mortuary for a post-mortem.
Area chief Charles Njeru noted that the residents launched a search for the boy when he had gone missing.
He added that the boy was the second child from the area to be retrieved from the river.
"Three months ago, a little girl was also found dead and floating in the water," he added.
