Police in Kakamega are holding four men accused of lynching a suspected chicken thief, who had reportedly stolen two birds on July 12.
The group was caught on tape killing him, with one captured lslashing the suspect with a machette to death at a shopping center in Khayega.
In a video posted on social media, the group is seen killing the suspect after owners of a homestead where the suspect had reportedly stolen the chickens from raised alarm.
A crowd responding to the alarms attacked the suspect with sticks and stones, before it reached police who sent in detectives to pursue the suspects, leading to the arrests.
Confirming the same, Director of Criminal Investigations (DCI) George Kinoti on Sunday said that they are handling the issue as a murder case and not mob justice.
He sounded warning to people who involve themselves in such incidences, adding that the four will be charged with murder on an unmentioned date.
“There is nothing like mob injustice. They murdered and let those who are engaged in such incidents know their time is coming,” he said.
This comes amid confessions on the ground that the deceased, who is seen pleading for his life in the video, indeed stole the birds.
Officials said that officers have been dispatched to the area to investigate the growing cases of mob justice and propose possible remedies.