By PATRICK MUTHURI
Residents of a village in Tigania barricaded the Meru-Maua road protesting the release of an assistant chief and a local trader arrested in connection with death of two boys.
The boys from Thuria village were allegedly killed by members of a local vigilante group on suspicion they had stolen Sh16,000 from the trader.
Meanwhile, a third boy is admitted at the Tigania Mission Hospital in critical condition after the Saturday ordeal.
Yesterday, the residents were preparing for the burial of the two when word went round that the assistant chief, Mr Stephen Kinyua, and the trader, Rahab Kananu, had been released.
As a result of the protests, transport was paralysed for hours at Muriri, Muthara and Karama markets on the Meru-Maua road after residents barricaded the stretch demanding re-arrest of the two.
Area OCPD Charles Koskei moved to calm the situation, saying the suspects were released on bond by a court and not the police.
According to residents, the illegal vigilante group known as ‘Nthande cia Mwariama’ is said to have been formed by the assistant chief?to assist him contain crime and insecurity in his jurisdiction.
“The boys were accused of stealing Sh16,000 from her (Kananu’s) kiosk. She reported the matter to the assistant chief who hunted the boys down and handed them over to his ‘security team’ for questioning.
“They (the team) beat them (boys) brutally and stuffed their?mouths with stinging nettle. One died on the way to the police station while another died while undergoing treatment,” recounted Richard Kirera, a resident.
“The money was later found misplaced in the same kiosk but the damage had already been done,” he added.
Mr Francis Theuri, another resident, claimed the gang used beastly means to punish the boys, including injuring their private parts.