Residents stone to death six suspects in botched robbery in Riruta, Nairobi

Nairobi, Kenya: Six suspects were Friday morning killed in a botched robbery at a shop in Riruta area, Nairobi.

Police say they shot one dead, while five others were stoned to death by an angry mob.

The incident happened when a gang of eight tried to break into a shop in the area.

Nairobi police boss Japheth Koome said an alarm was raised alerting a mob that rushed there as the gang tried to escape.

Police joined in the hunt and killed one while the other five were stoned to death by the mob few meters away from where the robbery incident had taken place. "The residents chased and stoned to death five of them. Police had killed one criminal and it is unfortunate the the public killed the other five," said Koome.

He added that two suspects managed to escape the 5 am incident.

Police strongly discourage against mob lynching and call it criminal. They usually want those arrested be surrendered to them. The bodies were taken to city mortuary.

The move by the mob to lynch the suspects is a sign of desperation and hopelessness.

Elsewhere, two suspected thugs were shot dead by police in a botched robbery in Dandora, Nairobi. Police say the gang was in a group of two others who had attacked a woman and tried to rob her of her valuables. An alarm was raised alerting police who responded and shot dead the  two while the others escaped.