A suspected police impersonator was on Saturday lynched near Rodi Kopany township in Homabay County.
The suspect who has been identified as Elisha Otieno. 38, met his death after allegedly injuring a clergyman while in the company of six others.
The group which was reportedly masquerading as police officers conducting a patrol in civilian attire confronted Pastor Dan Nyanje of Rodi Baptist Church, ordering him to surrender, before robbing him.
The pastor sustained deep injuries on both hands after the group landed on him with crude weapons and machetes.
Confirming the incident, Kalanya Kolang'o location Chief Frederick Onyango said that the pastor who lost an unknown amount of money, a phone and the coat he was wearing made an attempt to get away but was knocked down.
“The clergyman discovered that the gangsters were armed with crude weapons. He attempted to run but they overpowered him,” Onyango was quoted by the Standard.
The gang then moved to moved to pastor's neighbour with the same intention, forcing the family to raise an alarm which attracted the mob.
Upon realizing that they were not police officers, the mob resorted to violence, lynching the suspect as the rest of the group escaped.
“The mob realized that the suspect was not a police officer as he purported. He was killed before his body was set ablaze. I liaised with police who took his body to Homa Bay County referral hospital mortuary,” the Chief further said.
The Pastor is recuperating at the Samari Medical Center in Rodi Kopany where he was rushed to after the incident.