Residents of Kinangop, in Nyandarua County broke into a police station and stoned a suspect to death for stealing a cow.
Witnesses who spoke to the press revealed that the suspect was earlier arrested and taken to Githabai Police Station.
The irate residents, however, were dissatisfied with the police action and visited the station demanding that the police hand over the suspect to them.
"Cattle thieves have been affecting us but it seems his 40th day has arrived. He was found with a cow he stole yesterday and its owner also confirmed," a resident recalled.
"He was arrested and brought to the police station where he was placed in custody. Some irate residents demanded the suspect be handed to them but the police refused."
The angry residents who had earlier staged protests within the Constituency, as a result, broke into the police station and forcefully ejected the suspect.
"That was when the residents took matters into their own hands and broke into the police station, took the suspect out, and beat him to death," the resident added.
According to reports, the suspect had implicated police officers into the theft ring and expanded the list of other thieves who had terrorised the neighbourhood.
Farmers in the area had complained of the disappearance of over 300 heads of cattle since December last year.
Reports indicate that on learning that police officers were involved, they demanded resignations immediately.
When they stormed the station at around 10p.m. on Saturday night, the residents overpowered the police officers on duty and forcefully entered the station, damaging the gate in the process.
The case succeeds another which saw residents of Kikopey, Gilgil, Nakuru County torched the Kikopey Police Station in mid-March protesting the death of a suspect under police custody.
The irate residents stormed the police station after allegedly receiving an autopsy report stating that the suspect died from strangulation.
The residents strongly believed that the suspect was involved in a love triangle with a lady said to be in a relationship with a police officer working at the station.
