Mob Kills Two Suspected Robbers, Torches Vehicle on Kericho–Kisumu Highway

Two suspected robbers were on Thursday afternoon lynched by an irate mob near Kaitui Bridge in Sigowet/Soin Sub-County, along the busy Kericho–Kisumu Highway. The attackers’ vehicle was also set ablaze, leaving behind a burnt shell that brought traffic to a standstill.

According to Kaitui Location Chief Philip Kemboi, the suspects were part of a gang that had recently stolen a bodaboda motorcycle in the area. The theft had angered local operators, who had reportedly marked the group and were on high alert.

On the fateful day, riders spotted one of the suspects traveling in a saloon car with two accomplices heading towards Kapsoit. The bodaboda operators quickly mobilised and pursued them. Realising they were being followed, the suspects attempted to flee by making a U-turn towards Kipsitet. Riders from both ends of the highway coordinated to block their escape route.

The chase came to a halt when the suspects’ vehicle suffered a tyre burst near Kaitui Bridge. They abandoned the car and fled into a nearby sugarcane plantation. The mob managed to corner two of them and attacked them with crude weapons, killing them instantly.

One accomplice, believed to be armed, fired at the crowd and injured a bodaboda rider before disappearing deeper into the sugarcane fields. Police have since launched a manhunt for the fugitive.

The suspects’ vehicle was set on fire by the enraged mob, with thick smoke visible along the highway. Traffic was disrupted for several hours as angry residents blocked the road in protest, causing a massive snarl-up.

This dramatic incident comes just hours after a separate case in nearby Ainamoi Constituency, where a 19-year-old man hacked three members of his family before he was lynched by villagers in Samutet.

Don’t miss out on Kenyansnews updates, click to join our Telegram channel