This archive report was first published on 15 October 2021.
On October 15, 2021, a tragic event unfolded in Bungoma, Kenya, as a mob lynched Masten Wanjala, a self-confessed serial killer, in the early hours of the day.
According to eyewitnesses, Wanjala was spotted walking by a former soccer teammate at around 6:30 am, who then relayed the information to a man in Mukhweya market, providing directions on where to find the suspect.
The man followed the instructions and approached Wanjala, calling out his name. Alarmed, Wanjala took to his heels and hid in a woman's house, approximately 10 kilometers from his rural home.
"He ran, broke the window of the house and went in," a source stated.
However, the youth in the area soon got wind of the information and raided the homestead, flushing Wanjala out. The suspect reportedly brandished a knife but was overpowered by the mob, leading to his lynching.
Wanjala had previously confessed to killing children in Nairobi and two neighboring counties and was in custody at the Jogoo Police Station before he escaped two days prior.
Residents of Bungoma had expressed their fears following Wanjala's breakout, with one local resident stating, "We as residents of this village are pleading with the government to assist us because of this boy. If they fail to find him, our kids will be in great danger."
