Chiefs questioned over lynching of four men in Kitengela
Detectives have questioned two local administrators over the gruesome killings of four young men at Emkamuriaki village in Kitengela on August 8.
Two brothers, Victor Mwangi, 25, and Fredrick Mureithi, 30, and their friends, Michael Onduso, 29, and Nicholus Musa, 28, were reportedly lynched by a mob over suspicions they were livestock thieves.
It later turned out that they were bikers who often explored different parts of the country in their free time, especially the weekends.
Their mutilated bodies were later dumped near Munjiriri River. Their bikes were torched along with their personal documents.
The four, three of them spotting dreadlocks, were good friends who usually spent time together in the area.
Police now want to establish the role the two administrators in Isinya Sub-county played, either in an attempt to save the victims, or to incite the mob.
“We have placed them at the scene of the murder. We are moving to build a strong case. We are also aware of the local community’s attempts to subvert justice. The statements already recorded indicate a well-orchestrated scheme to subvert justice,” said a detective.
They have already questioned and released four persons considered to be of high interest to the investigation.
The first one, who was picked up from his home on Friday night, is a local politician and a licensed gun holder, who is said to have fired in the air 14 times at the murder scene.
Police want to establish the reasons behind his action, and how he arrived at the scene. They are also combing the village for the weapons the mob used in the killings.
Last Friday, the community had planned a crisis meeting on how to “protect” the suspects but organisers changed the agenda after realising intelligence officers had infiltrated them.
Well-known bikers
Instead, they discussed rampant livestock theft in the region.
The boys were to celebrate Victor’s birthday at Onduso’s home and had even ordered three chickens from a neighbour.
“The neighbour was to prepare the chicken for them. It was their trend whenever they were around. They paid generously,” said a villager.
The Nation understands the bikers were well-known in the area and enjoyed a good relationship with locals.
About a month ago, the four visited the village with several children and spent most of their time riding their bikes, enjoying the scenery..
“They went biking near Munjiriri River. They could spend hours here admiring the great scenery and taking photos,” said a source.
As fate would have it, the same river became their last point of call before an altercation with a villager turned deadly.
Their families are now demanding justice and have urged the police to expedite the investigation, saying their loved ones were innocent.
“We won’t stop pushing hard for justice. The villagers’ action was barbaric and acceptable. We want justice to prevail and suspects punished according to the law,” said Joseph Macharia, an uncle of the brothers.
Mwangi was a graphic designer while his younger brother was a sound engineer. They will be buried at Leshau Gwa Kung’u, Nyandarua County, on Friday. Their mother, Ms Lucy Wanjiru, lives in United Kingdom. They were her only children.
Isinya sub-county Criminal Investigation Officer Simiyu Wekesa said they are closing in on the suspects.
“We are moving quite well and we’ll soon make arrests and arraignments. We have cast our nets far and wide. We will get to the bottom of the killings,” said Mr Wekesa. BY DAILY NATION
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