A man posing as a security officer in Gatuanyaga, Thika East was on Saturday rescued by police officers from a mob that wanted to lynch him alive.
According to residents, the man identified as John Nyaachi, has been posing as a county government levy collector and at times as NEMA official harassing those caught using the illegalized plastic bags.
Residents, however, got suspicious of him as he only insists on bribes rather than arresting offenders and taking them to court.
“We have suffered for a very long time from this man. About three weeks ago, he 'arrested' me and demanded Sh5000 bribe from me for packing mandazis in polythene bags. After a very long stand off I parted with Sh2000,” Richard Sawanda, a snacks bodaboda vendor says as quoted by Thika Town Today.
Sawanda adds that the suspect is always equipped with handcuffs which he uses to terrorize naive and innocent residents while threatening them with arrest and long jail term sentences.
"Yesterday was his 40th day, he hired me and along the way, he threatened to arrest me for answering a call while carrying an officer (the suspect). I saw him from the side mirror remove his handcuffs so as to arrest me. So, when I approached Ngurai, I raised alarm and residents responded immediately,” Lucas Ngugi, the bodaboda rider said.
He adds that he was lucky that Sawanda happened to be around and identified Munuvi as the same 'officer' who had arrested him previously.
Sawanda called the area Community Policing Chairman Stephen Kiarie Gitua who confirmed that the suspect was not an officer at Munyu Police Post as he claimed.
It is at this juncture that residents pounced on him and threatened to lynch him as many had fallen victim to his thuggery.
This comes in as residents went on rampage last Friday lighting bonfires along Thika-Garissa highway to protest the runaway insecurity in the area.