Two men killed in suspected shop breaking incident

The victims, identified as Brian Kihara (21) and Benson Wanjohi (22), were accused by local residents of being among a group of five youths allegedly behind a spate of shop burglaries in Thiba and surrounding villages.

According to reports, the mob, frustrated by rising cases of theft and what they described as inaction by authorities, stormed Diambo Estate in Ngurubani Town around 4 p.m. and dragged the two suspects to Thiba North football ground along the Mwea–Embu Highway. There, they were reportedly interrogated before being set ablaze in front of a large crowd.

“We have been reporting these cases, but nothing is ever done. That’s why we decided to take the law into our own hands,” one villager said, speaking on behalf of a group of over 100 residents. Some warned security personnel against coming to the scene or taking pictures.

Thiba Location Chief Leah Wamutira confirmed the identities of the deceased and condemned the incident, urging residents to allow the law to take its course.

“This is a tragic example of the dangers of mob justice. I strongly urge the public to report criminal activity to law enforcement authorities rather than resorting to such extreme actions,” said Chief Wamutira.

The bodies of the two youths were taken to Kerugoya Mortuary, where postmortems are expected to be conducted.

Police have launched investigations into the incident.