Some residents of Witeithie Estate in Thika Sub-County on Tuesday stormed a house believed to be the hiding den for a gang suspected of attacking and stealing from them.
During the incident, one of the gang members was lynched while two others escaped.
The residents are said to have been mobilised by the bodaboda operators who have been in the frontline recently in dealing with criminals.
Earlier on, the area MCA Peter Ngugi Muiruri has accused the bodaboda operators in the area of being the main cause of insecurity saying that they have been operating till very late hours.
This comes a week after one of the members of the gang was injured severely and left with deep panga cuts after which he was taken to Kenyatta Hospital by his relatives.
Speaking to the residents when he confirmed the incident, area Administration Police (AP) Superintendent Sergeant James Linguli who was accompanied by Juja OCS David Kombe said that the residents are on the right track of fighting crime but doing it the wrong way.
He condemned the lynching saying that the residents will not curb insecurity if they cannot involve the security officers. He added that the gang has been conducting their illegal businesses despite the mob attack on their fellow last week.
Linguli cautioned the public against lynching saying the law has proper punishments for criminals rather than killing through mob justice.
The residents have vowed to search for the rest of the gang members in the meantime. The body of the deceased was taken to General Kago Morgue in Thika town.