Drama as police rescue 4 suspected gangsters from mob justice in Kirinyaga

Business came to a standstill at Kerugoya town in Kirinyaga County after irate residents attempted to lynch four suspected criminals after they set their vehicle on fire.

The residents had attacked the suspects and burnt their vehicle when police officers, who were acting on a tip-off, arrived just in time and saved their lives.

The gangsters then jumped into a white car and tried to escape but were blocked by a truck ferrying bread.

The woman operating the M-Pesa shop then raised the alarm, attracting residents around the town. Sensing danger, the gangsters alighted and fled on foot but were cornered by passers-by.

A plea by the suspects to be spared by the mob in the better part of the afternoon fell on deaf ears.

The suspects were beaten and badly wounded by the irate mob, with their pleas to be spared falling on deaf ears. Just as the residents were preparing to lynch them, police arrived and rescued them.

They were taken to the nearby police station and detained for questioning.

Moments later, residents set ablaze the suspects' vehicle and destroyed it. Efforts by the police to restrain the mob from burning the car bore no fruit.

The locals lamented that insecurity was on the rise in the area and vowed to tame the invading gang.

They accused security bodies of failing to protect them and their property and vowed to defend themselves.

"We are going to deal with them ruthlessly, last week they killed a local trader," residents said.