Two suspected motorcycle thieves die after mob attack in Nairobi
FILE IMAGE OF A POLICE LINE
Two men accused of stealing a motorcycle have died after they were attacked by a mob in the Posta area within Jamhuri, Nairobi.
The incident was reported on Friday after police received information through the control room that members of the public were assaulting two suspected thieves.
According to police, officers rushed to the scene and established that the two men had been subjected to mob justice over allegations that they had stolen a motorcycle.
Before police could intervene, the two injured men were reportedly rescued by individuals believed to be their associates, who rushed them to Kenyatta National Hospital for treatment. However, both later succumbed to their injuries.
The deaths sparked tension at the hospital after a large group of boda boda riders from Kibra gathered and demanded to know why the injured suspects had allegedly not been attended to immediately. Police responded promptly and managed the situation, preventing further unrest.
A motorcycle, believed to be connected to the incident, was recovered at the scene and towed to Jamhuri Police Station, where it has been secured as an exhibit.
Police have launched investigations into the incident as they work to establish the circumstances surrounding the alleged theft and the subsequent mob attack.
Meanwhile, police have launched a manhunt for the driver and conductor of a matatu involved in a hit-and-run incident that left a traffic police officer seriously injured at Kihunguro Roundabout along the Thika-Nairobi service lane.
The incident occurred at about 7:10 pm on Friday as the police officer who is attached to the Ruiru Traffic Base, was on traffic management duties with fellow officers.
According to police, the officer approached a Toyota Hiace matatu, belonging to Chania Travellers SACCO after it allegedly stopped to pick up passengers at an undesignated point.
As the officer engaged the crew, the conductor allegedly grabbed him by the collar and pulled him towards the sliding door. His left trouser leg became trapped in the door before he fell onto the road. The driver is said to have sped off immediately, dragging the officer for several metres along the tarmac.
The officer sustained a fracture to his left hip joint and was rescued by fellow officers before being rushed to Medlife Hospital in Ruiru. He was admitted in stable condition.
Police said the driver fled the scene and efforts to trace the matatu, its driver and the conductor are ongoing as investigations continue.