Police officers were forced to disperse an angry crowd that wanted to lynch two individuals on suspicion that they were child kidnappers in Zimmerman, Nairobi.
In videos seen by Kenyans.co.ke on Saturday, June 26, the angry residents pounced on the duo with kicks and blows.
The residents also threatened to burn down their vehicle before police officers came to their rescue.
Kasarani OCPD Peter Mwanzo, however stated that it was a case of a mistaken identity and warned the public about taking the law into their own hands.
"In today’s case, they attacked the two based on mere suspicion, which was not founded on any concrete evidence. It would have been so unfortunate had they killed the two," Mwanzo told the Standard.
Area residents highlighted that the estate has in recent weeks become notorious for the disappearance of children.
"Someone is stealing children in Zimmerman, Roysambu, and Kasarani. If you live in the mentioned areas please take care of your kid(s), " a resident from the area stated.
They lamented that the children reported missing at the Kasarani police station were yet to be found, accusing the police of sleeping on their job.
"More than 10 families in the area are looking for children who went missing without a trace," a resident stated.
The families indicated that they had not been contacted to offer a ransom.
Residents have appealed to Interior CS Fred Matiang'i and Inspector General of police Hillary Mutyambai to transfer officers who have been in the station for more than five years.
On June 7, 2021, Mutyambai formed a special unit to deal with increased muggings, murders, and robbery with violence cases in Nairobi.
"We have police officers on patrol 24/7. We also have an elaborate anti-agency team comprised of a special crime prevention unit that deals with homicides. We also encourage members of the public to report to the police should they spot any unusual activity," he stated.
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