Police have explained the circumstances that led to the torching of a police station in Kinangop, Nyandarua County.
Ndunyu Njeru police station was Thursday June 26 night torched in a clash over four stock theft suspects who had been detained there.
Three of the suspects who had been detained at the station were killed in the drama. They died in a fire incident at the cells in the chaos that broke out, police said.
According to police, the bodies were found after the fire had subsided, while one suspect was rescued and rushed to the hospital.
According to police, about 400 people stormed the station at about 8 pm, demanding to be given four suspects who had been arrested for stock theft within Ndunyu Njeru area with the aim of lynching them.
The officers resisted and repulsed the group, prompting chaos.
The mob burned the station building with the four suspects held in a police cell. Also burnt were the area chief’s office hosted within the building, a police land cruiser, a salon car belonging to the suspects, a police house that accommodates offices including that of the Officer Commanding Station and the crime office.
A container, which is used as exhibit store was broken into and two motorcycles and empty fuel drum were stolen.
Four houses belonging to police were vandalized in the chaos. According to police, in the process, three of the four suspects who were at the station cells died. They were burned in the cells.
One was rescued and taken to the hospital in serious condition.
The deceased were identified as Peter Mburu Kimani alias Kanyajua, Nicasio Mugeni Iringa and Victor Kimeu Mbithi.
They were all were confirmed dead in the cell due to the fire, police said. One police officer was injured in the chaos, police on the ground said.
All firearms at the station were accounted for though some are still locked in the still box which was burned at the report office.
The rowdy crowd escaped into the darkness immediately after the arrival of reinforcement from Kipipiri Police Station, South Kinangop Sub-county and Kinangop Police Station.
The box was transferred to North Kinangop police station for safe custody.
The three bodies were taken to Engineer Sub-county mortuary for preservation and awaiting postmortem, police said. This has increased to more than 10 police facilities so far attacked and destroyed since the June 25 protests.
Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen had on Thursday advised police to shoot anyone who tries to attack a police station. Police say more 500 people have been arrested in separate operations since the protests took place.
Police said at least five guns were stolen during the chaos at the Dagoretti police post in Kiambu County.
Among the affected were Dagoretti police post, Juja police station, Villa post police station, Molo police station, Ongata Rongai police station, Matuu police station, Mai Mahiu police station and Ol kalou police station.
The most dramatic incident happened when a protest turned chaotic after a group of goons barricaded the Southern Bypass and the Old Kikuyu Road with stones and lit bonfires with old vehicle tires.
Police claimed that the group was hired from Limuru and Kiambu Counties and ferried to Kikuyu using three lorries. The running battles between the goons and the police continued for 30 minutes when the reinforcement team drawn from various stations within Kiambu and Murang’a Counties arrived to help the situation.
The Kikuyu Law Courts, County Government offices, Dagoretti Police Post and DCC’s office had already been torched.
Further, the police foiled an attempt by the rioters to seize five firearms from the Sub-County APS armoury. As a result of the melee, one person was killed and five officers sustained injuries.
The rioters took the body of the fatally injured to an unknown place and later approached the Kikuyu Police Station area at around 6 pm through the link road and abandoned the body at the Kikuyu Police Station main gate.
According to the police, the confrontation continued until 10:00 pm when the rioters advanced towards the Kikuyu Affordable Housing units and began vandalising the property.
Moments later, the officers responded and managed to arrest four suspects.
Email your news TIPS to Editor@Kahawatungu.com — this is our only official communication channel
