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The South Rift region is grappling with a violent wave of "mob justice," where crowds are increasingly acting as prosecutor and executioner.
The mob attacked the two with stones and clubs, effectively acting as prosecutor, witness, judge, jury and executioner before police could arrive.
Whether they were guilty remains secondary, as justice was served on the spot.
This incident is part of a worrying surge in mob violence across the South Rift affecting Nakuru, Bomet, Kericho and Narok counties. Suspects of crime are increasingly cornered by crowds and stoned, set ablaze or beaten to death.
Most suspects are accused of robbery, murder, muggings and mobile phone or bag snatching.
The rise of mob justice highlights a dangerous trend where victims take the law into their own hands instead of relying on formal judicial processes.
Security authorities have repeatedly warned that this is perilous.
“Instant justice may seem effective, but it is illegal and extremely dangerous. Suspects must be handed to the police for prosecution,” said Rift Valley Regional Commissioner Dr Abdi Hassan.
Human rights activists also voice similar concerns.
Director of the Nakuru Human Rights Network (Nahurinet), David Kuria, urged the public to avoid taking the law into their own hands.
“Lynching a suspect is a capital criminal offence. All suspects should be handed over to the police for prosecution,” he said. He added that sensitisation campaigns are needed to educate the public on the dangers of mob justice.
Petty crimes, fatal prices
In Nakuru alone, five suspects have been lynched in the past month.
On December 21, three suspects were lynched in Naivasha after being caught stealing chickens in Kayole Estate.
Two died at the scene, while the third succumbed to injuries in the hospital. The incidents followed a wave of petty crimes targeting flower firm workers, including mugging and theft.
Isaac Kiama, the area Directorate of Criminal Investigations boss, asked residents to desist from mob justice.
“Police act within the confines of the law. We will not allow lynching of suspects on suspicion alone. This is a dangerous trend,” he said.
Lawyers warn that mob justice is not only illegal but also carries severe consequences.
Steve Kabita noted that culprits can face life imprisonment or the death penalty.
In April 2017, ten perpetrators involved in the lynching of Elikana Gondi Syongoh, his driver and a farmhand in Migori County were sentenced to life imprisonment after being found guilty of murder.
The three victims had been mistaken for cattle rustlers, beaten and set ablaze in their vehicle.
“The law is clear. Even when emotions run high, taking the law into your own hands can cost you a lifetime,” said Kabita.
A man holds a machete.
Side bar: Diverse targets
On September 7, 2025, a Pakistani national narrowly escaped a mob in Nakuru City and Bahati, accused of fraud. Two accomplices escaped. According to authorities,the suspect was in the company of two others at the time of the onslaught by members of the public.
Recently In Mau Summit and Molo, three men were lynched over alleged livestock theft.
In yet another incident in Sotik, Bomet, a 42-year-old man accused of bestiality was rescued by police from a mob on October 1, 2025, while a suspected motorcycle thief was lynched and set ablaze in the Ndanai area in the same county on
Police say on August 26, 2025, in Kembu, an arson suspect was lynched after allegedly setting a home on fire and injuring four people.
In neighbouring Kericho, a 19-year-old hacked three family members to death and was lynched by residents and in Narok South, a suspected maize thief was lynched and set on fire, while a Maasai Mara University student died after being subjected to mob justice for alleged theft.
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