Villagers where five members of the same family were attacked and killed by angry villagers Thursday night over claims of murder in Metembe village, Masimba Ward in Kisii County claim the assailants were hired.
Detectives handling the April 17, 2025 incident say the villagers are uncooperative and blaming outsiders for the deaths and destruction.
Even local administrators are afraid of being attacked by the villagers, police handling the case said.
Teams have been combing the area for information on the murder in vain. No arrest has been made.
An autopsy is planned on the bodies of the five to determine how they died.
The attackers also torched six houses after the murder of the family members.
The attackers suspected the family of being involved in the murder of a middle-aged man who was found dead a month ago.
Among the victims were the father and mother of the family. Two other family members managed to escape the attack.
The locals have explained two members of the family had been accused of the murder, arrested but later released.
This is after the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions said there was no evidence to link the two to the murder.
Police said this sowed hatred on the family among locals until April 17 when they were attacked and accused of the murder.
Detectives have questioned local administrators in efforts to know how the planning was done and murder committed without their knowledge.
It has emerged there was no assistant chief in the village at the time of the incident and the chief claimed he did not know.
But insiders say even the administrators fear being targeted by the same gang behind the murder.
This is after on April 18, another mob descended on the remains of the burnt houses and flattened them saying they did not want the family in the area.
“It is shocking that the mob went back and flattened structures at the family terming them criminals. We hope to get all those involved,” said an official aware of the probe.
South Masaba Deputy Commissioner Jane Manene said they are investigating the incident.
She termed mob lynching as criminal and added that officers from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) are pursuing the attackers.
“Suspects should be surrendered to police for formal probe and action. A team is investigating the murder,” the official said.
Police arrived at the village Friday morning as part of the probe into the incident.
The bodies of the five victims were taken to the mortuary at Kisii Teaching and Referral Hospital pending autopsy and probe.
Kisii County police commander Ronald Kirui said a team of detectives is on the ground to pursue the murder.
He said a team was also investigating the earlier of a man that prompted the latest incident.
Such incidents of mob lynching are common in the area amid a campaign to address the menace. Some criminal gangs operating in the area were linked to the killings before police moved to address the same.
A probe into the activities is underway.
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