This archive report was first published on 16 November 2019.
On November 16, 2019, a tragic incident unfolded in Busia County, where six men were brutally lynched by a mob after being mistaken for suspects in the murder of a local businessman.
The victims, who were hired to provide security at the funeral of the deceased, were met with suspicion and hostility by the locals, who believed they were behind the killing.
According to eyewitnesses, the six men were chased, stoned, and lynched in separate places within the village by locals and Boda boda riders.
"Locals and rowdy Boda boda operators lynched the six in less than 10 minutes, the riders escaped from the scene immediately," said a villager who wished to remain anonymous.
The seventh member of the group managed to escape, and it was unclear where he was by the next day.
Police arrived at the scene and later took the bodies to the County referral mortuary.
The incident has sparked outrage, with the Busia County Commissioner, Jacob Narengo, slamming the residents for taking the law into their own hands.
"They should have arrested them and taken them to Bumala police station. Maybe they were relatives of a member from the bereaved family," said Narengo.
Investigation into the lynching is ongoing, and police are yet to make any arrests in connection with the incident.
