When a man who had gone to take a bath in River Thuci never returned home in December 2018, his disappearance did not make national headlines.

Little was said beyond the walls of his Kamaindi village house in Tharaka Nithi County when his remains were discovered last month.

The remains were in a gunny bag buried next to the river.

Yesterday, however, Kamaindi – an administrative location 236 kilometres from the capital Nairobi - would attract national attention in a rollercoaster of hackings that saw Chuka OCS Joseph Kinyua axed to death hours after police arrested the suspected killers of a chief. 

Irate Kamaindi locals hacked to death their chief, Mayau J Mukengu. They then burned the dismembered body of the 57-year-old.

According to eyewitness accounts, the mob accused chief Mayau of killing his neighbour in 2018.

They also accused him and his brother Gikware Mukengu of harassment. Gikware is alleged to have detained goats of a local after they grazed on his farm.

Further, the chief and his brother were accused of diverting water from the drying River Thuci to their land at the expense of those living downstream.

County Commissioner Beverly Opworah confirmed the foul killing, saying they were investigating the motive.
Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) said the chief had gone to settle a case when the suspects attacked him with pangas.

Hours of Mukengu’s lynching, three suspects were arrested.