Mandazi-luring chicken thief in Mwea lynched by angry villagers

The unidentified man was allegedly linked to a series of chicken thefts in the area. Residents claimed he would lure chickens with pieces of mandazi before stealing them while homeowners were away working on their farms and children were in school.

According to locals, the stolen chickens were reportedly taken to Makutano Shopping Centre, where they were sold to hotels and motorists travelling along the busy highway.

Residents led by Peter Njomo said the suspect was caught after allegedly stealing two chickens from the home of Lucy Mwangi. Njomo said Mwangi's son, a Form Four student, intercepted the man while he was carrying the birds.

"When questioned, he claimed the chickens belonged to him and asked us to call his mother, who he said was working on a nearby farm," Njomo said.

Another resident, identified as Mr Ngure, alleged that the suspect had earlier stolen chickens from the home of Irungu Kamuruti before he was found with the two birds belonging to Mwangi.

Residents who recognised the chickens reportedly descended on the suspect, beating him before setting him on fire.

"I tried to intervene, but the residents turned against me and threatened to beat me as well," said John Mwangi, a local resident.

"We have been searching for the person responsible for the repeated theft of our chickens. We now believe it was this man, but he refused to reveal his identity or where he came from," another resident said.

Police officers from Mwea West Sub-county responded to the incident and collected the body, which was taken to Kerugoya Hospital Mortuary.

The officers condemned the killing and urged residents to refrain from taking the law into their own hands.

"Mob justice is unlawful and goes against the Constitution. The suspect could have provided valuable information, including where the stolen chickens were being sold. By killing him, crucial evidence may have been lost," a police officer said.

Investigations into the incident are ongoing.