Mobs kill 30, injure dozens in a week

At least 30 people have been killed through mob attacks, with dozens of others injured in the last one week across the country.
Killings have been reported in Nairobi, Mombasa, Nakuru, Eldoret and Meru in the last one week, and often with official complicity.
The surge has been attributed to a lack of prompt action or inaction by the police and a lack of faith in the judicial system to properly handle suspected criminals as a result of corruption, incompetence and inadequate resources.
In Upper Nyakach in Kisumu County, the local residents on Saturday morning beat to death before setting ablaze the bodies of two men said to be members of the notorious ‘42 Brothers’ gang at Kokumu shopping Centre.
The two are said to be part of the gang that attacked the family of Mzee Juma Ondenge, who had just buried a relative, where they left two family members with serious injuries.
A trader at Kokumu shopping centre said they no longer expect protection from the police, nor justice from the courts and often prefer to use force to protect themselves.
Marauding gangsters
“It was established that the two were suspected to be a group of gangsters from Lower Nyakach who terrorise members of the public, especially during funeral vigils,” police said.
The attacks have continued to increase despite the fact that the country has laws that are preventive, remedial and punitive.
In Shisaba village of Butere Sub-County, Ibrahim Ashikla, 22, was killed by a mob on Friday night after he stole two mattresses and five plastic chairs from Muyundi ACK Church.
According to a local administrator, Samson Tindi, the deceased was a member of a criminal gang that had been terrorising the local residents.
The suspect was rescued by the police, who rushed him to Butere Sub-County Hospital, where he died while undergoing treatment.
Reports also indicate that two other robbery suspects, aged between 20 and 25, were also killed in Bumula, Busia County.
The area Chief Amos Omoto reported to the police that the two were lynched to death after they were linked to several robberies in the area.
Police warning
The National Police Service spokesperson, Muchiri Nyaga, on July 13, 2025, warned against the attacks, saying it was worrying and could not be allowed to continue.
According to Muchiri, even the suspects need to be given the right to a defence, adding that the actions violate the right to a fair trial and the right to be presumed innocent before being proved guilty by a court of law.
“Such attacks and others on police buildings and government infrastructure and even private enterprise clearly send the wrong message about law and order,” the spokesperson said.
In Karapul, Siaya County, another two suspects were also killed in Urogi village after they were accused of stealing chickens and gas cylinders.
The area Assistant Chief Dorcas Olombo said the identities of the suspects were not immediately established, and the bodies were transferred to Siaya County Referral Hospital.
Michael Adongo Nyabok was also killed on Wednesday night by the locals after he attacked another man on suspicion that he had an affair with his wife in Lower Kanyawegi in Kisumu West Sub-County.
The deceased had earlier attacked and seriously injured Paul Olwal Ogege, according to the police.
“Members of the public rushed the victim to Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Hospital, where he was admitted in a serious condition. Upon return, they traced the attacker and killed him on the spot,” police said.
Though suspects should be presumed innocent, most perpetrators are never held accountable, with detectives sometimes involved in cover-ups, even when the perpetrators are widely known.
Investigations show that very few cases of such gruesome violations of natural justice have led to investigations or arrests, with even fewer resulting in convictions. As a result, vigilantism is becoming an accepted delivery mechanism for imparting justice.
According to police records, over 100 other people have also been injured during the same period. A notorious criminal was also attacked and seriously injured in Kawalun Market in Teso North Sub-County.
“The locals claimed Divas Otorit 26 was a habitual criminal who had terrorised them for a long time, with no action taken by the police. He sustained a deep cut on his head among other physical injuries,” the local police said.
Another suspect, Gabriel Omondi, 35, was killed by a mob when he was found stealing scrap metal in Ng’iya market in Kogelo, Siaya County, on Friday, July 11, 2025.
Pronounced dead
The suspect was injured on the right hand, head and both legs and was rushed to Siaya County Referral Hospital, where he was pronounced dead on arrival
On Thursday night, Salome Mwikali escaped death by a whisker when she was cornered with the Great Wall apartments in Athi River, Machakos County.
The suspect was in the company of three others who managed to escape from the scene and are said to have been part of the gang that stupefies their victims before stealing from them.
“The gang had earlier attempted to steal from a female shopkeeper who became suspicious and raised alarm,” officials said.
Another suspect was admitted in a serious condition after he was attacked by a mob in Nandere village of Webuye in Bungoma County on Friday, July 11.
Ngosia Musa, 25, was found in possession of a motorcycle that had been stolen from a fellow villager, Amos Luvisia.
“The motorcycle registration number KMFL 149Z had earlier been reported stolen. The suspect was taken to Webuye County Hospital and admitted in a serious condition,” police said.
Residents of Kapsabet in Nandi County also dumped a seriously injured man at Kapsabet police station on Thursday, July 10, 2025, before they escaped.
The victim, whose identity was not immediately established, had a deep cut on the left eye.
Within the same period in Thunguma Sub-Location in Nyeri Central Sub-County, 53-year-old Simon Kihoha also escaped death by a whisker after he was attacked by the locals for attempting to defile a Grade Six girl from a local school.
He was later charged in court.
According to police headquarters, there is no clear specific law on lynch mobs; it is simply murder.
Some locals have said corruption, and the unethical conduct of some policemen and judicial officers, together with fruitless police investigations, have led to mob justice.
Investigations have also revealed that in some cases, people seeking to settle personal scores may also infiltrate the ranks of the mob.