Police in Embu are holding a woman on suspicion that she and her four relatives tortured to death her 30-year-old cousin after accusing him of stealing a phone.
Mr Samuel Gichovi succumbed to injuries he sustained after being beaten with crude weapons for more than six hours in Kathita Village, Embu County, as his relatives tried to extract information about the missing phone that was worth Sh5,000.
TORTURED
Embu West DCIO George Etyang said the five relatives had stormed the deceased’s house and flushed him and another cousin out, while demanding they produce the phone.
He said the woman accused Mr Gichovi and Mr Elijah Muchangi of having the phone on Wednesday night.
“They rounded them up at 11pm Wednesday and tied them with ropes and started beating them up with crude weapons. The torture continued for over six hours until Gichovi succumbed,” said Mr Etyang.
FLED
The perpetrators at one point took the captives round the village where they had been spotted during the day, trying to force a confession out of them.
Passers-by rescued Mr Muchangi while the lifeless body of Mr Gichovi was spotted dumped a few metres from where they were beaten up.
The body had cuts and bruises.
Mr Etyang said members of the public had volunteered information, leading to the arrest of the woman but her accomplices fled.
The body was taken to Embu Level 5 Hospital mortuary.