Suspected cattle rustlers lynched in Mumias

Two people suspected to be members of a livestock theft gang have been lynched and their vehicle burned to a shell by angry villagers in Mumias East sub-county, Kakamega County.

Irate members of the public ambushed the two in Mwitoti after they were spotted stealing animals from the home of Mr Hassan Were in the neighbouring Eluche village.

The two had bundled the sheep into their vehicle and were driving towards Mumias town when they met a group of villagers who had laid an ambush after they were alerted by Mr Were at 3am.

Mr Hussein Murungu, 32, who was the driver, and Bosco Juma, 58, the owner of the vehicle, were attacked and lynched.

The two are known businessmen in Mumias town, where they sell roast chicken in the evening.

“I heard a commotion from the animal shed and when I peeped through the window, I saw strange people in the compound. I alerted my neighbours through the phone before I raised the alarm,” said Mr Were.

Two of Mr Were’s sheep had already been loaded onto the waiting vehicle outside his compound when the neighbours responded to his alarm.

The thieves sped off in the car but were ambushed by more people from neighbouring villages who had been alerted and had laid a trap in Mwitoti.

Hacked to death

They blocked the vehicle and pounced on the two occupants, hacking them to death before they set the vehicle ablaze.

Mr Justus Okutoyi, a resident, said the two were in a team with other people who were using motorcycles to ferry stolen animals from homes in the villages of Eluche, Kisumu Ndogo and Emayala.

“Those on motorcycles escaped when they learned that their teammates had been killed,” said Mr Okutoyi.

He claimed the thieves had been stealing cows, sheep, goats and chickens.

“They have been in this village four times this month alone. We have not been able to rear livestock or chickens because of them. They steal and sell them at Ekero, where the business of roasted goat and sheep meat thrives,” he added.

Mumias East sub-county Police Commander Mohammed Kullow said two sheep were recovered from the vehicle before it was torched by the villagers.

He said livestock theft had become rampant in the area recently.

“The two bodies were moved to the St Mary’s Hospital mortuary. Unfortunately, the vehicle was burned beyond recognition or repair,” said Mr Kullow.

Mr Kullow said his office was collaborating with community leaders to curb stock theft by people who want to enrich themselves quickly at the expense of other families.

The measures include intensified night patrols and promoting community policing.

Residents of Butere, Mumias, Matungu, Lurambi and Khwisero in Kakamega County have decried livestock theft.

Mr Edward Okumu, from Bumanyi in Mumias West, said theft of goats and sheep in particular was alarming.

“Many people raise the animals with the expectation of selling them during hard times. It is not pleasing when some people form a gang to steal the stock overnight and leave families in agony,” he observed.

Goats, chickens and sheep find a ready market at Ekero, which has thriving roast-meat businesses.

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