Kenyan man severely burnt by angry mob for allegedly stealing two hens

Yesterday, a Kenyan man was beaten and set on fire by an angry mob. The man, identified as John Mugendi, is currently battling for his life at the Chuka General Hospital following the attack by the residents of Ngubu Village in Tharaka-Nithi County who caught him with two hens and beans they believed to have been stolen.

According to The Nation Kenya, the mob set the 30-year-old man on fire and left him to burn to death. He was however able to quench the flames and crawl into a nearby building after escaping from them.

In response to the barbaric act, Tharaka-Nithi police boss Johnston Ipara complained that the public have developed a pattern of taking the law into their own hands by burning suspected criminals. He also declared that legal action would be taken on anyone who burns suspects. “We need justice for all people and the public cannot execute it,” he stated.

He also used the opportunity to encourage the youth to get involved in income generating activities and refrain from stealing.

In 2012, a slightly similar incident occurred in Nigeria when four undergraduates of the University of Port Harcourt, who had been accused of robbery, were killed by a mob in Aluu.

Source: The Nation Kenya