Angry mob kills four suspected thugs in Nairobi

By Cyrus Ombati

Four suspected muggers were Wednesday morning lynched by an angry mob in a botched robbery in Kibera slums, Nairobi.

Two of the suspects in their early twenties died on the spot after being stoned by a crowd while two others passed on while being taken to the hospital.

A fifth suspect is fighting for his life in hospital after he was saved by police who were on patrol in the area, police and witnesses said.

Locals said a gang of five had been attacking and robbing pedestrians along Karanja Road in the slum.

Among the deceased was a boy who locals said was in class seven.

The man who survived claimed he was frogmarched from his house and accused of being a mugger, which he denied.

“They beat me up accusing me of being a thief and some of them even tried to force me to swallow an acid as they frogmarched me from the house,” said the survivor as he was being taken to hospital.

Some of the victims said they lost mobile phones, cash and other valuables to the gang, which struck between 5am and 7am.

It was as they enjoyed their robbing spree that an alarm was raised alerting the public.

Kilimani OCPD Bernard Muli said the gang had been attacking locals who were walking to their destinations.

“It is unfortunate that the public decided to lynch the suspects. We always do not advocate mob lynching because it is criminal,” said Muli.

He added the suspects struck as police patrolled a different alley in the slum and warned against mob lynching.

He said if anyone will be arrested over the attacks and killing of suspects will face serious charges in court.

The police boss said some of the suspects were very young and that it is unbelievable they are engaged in such crimes.

Locals said the gang had been behind a series of attacks in the past weeks where they were robbed of their valuables by people armed with pistols and crude weapons.