Two men from the same family were killed and their bodies set on fire during a burial ceremony in Tharaka-Nithi County.
The two brothers- Miriti Mugigi and Mati Ntoiria had gone to stop the burial of their deceased relative, following a family dispute on the piece of land he was set to be buried on.
The mourners instead turned on the two brothers, accusing them of having bewitched the deceased- Kinyua Mbuna.
Mbuna had died after a tree fell on him.
The irate mob mercilessly beat the two men, as the mood at the venue changed from somber to one that was highly charged.
The three policemen who had accompanied the area chief and the two brothers tried shooting into the air to scare the crowd off but to no avail.
The Thursday morning incident saw the area chief and the policemen take to their heels as the angry mob threatened to harm them.
It is alleged that the residents accused the two brothers of using witchcraft to kill their relatives -one after the other, so they could inherit the family owned land.
The residents further alleged that the two had threatened other family members and even gone as far as giving the specific dates on which they would die.
Speaking to The Nation, County Police Commander Johnston Ipara confirmed the incident and said that the police in the area had launched investigations into the matter.
