Detectives are investigating the brutal killing of five family members in Metembe village, Masimba Ward, Kisii County. The victims were lynched by a mob on April 17 over allegations of involvement in a previous murder. So far, no arrests have been made, with detectives citing resistance and lack of cooperation from villagers, who claim outsiders were responsible for the attack.
The victims, including the family’s father and mother, were targeted after two family members—earlier linked to a local man’s death—were released due to insufficient evidence. Following the attack, six houses were set ablaze, and the next day, a mob returned to flatten the remaining structures. Two family members escaped the violence.
Local administrators have been questioned, though fear of retaliation has limited information. Detectives plan to conduct autopsies to aid the investigation. Kisii County Police Commander Ronald Kirui condemned the lynching, calling it a criminal act and assured that a team from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations is pursuing leads. The bodies are at Kisii Teaching and Referral Hospital awaiting postmortem.
