Villagers in Kilifi butcher and torch three men inside their car

Villagers butcher and torch three men inside their car

Mwangi Gathanwa

July 8, 2021 11:57 AM

The villagers thought the men were kidnappers after a rise in the number of abductions.

The vehicle that was burnt during the Wednesday evening incident.

Police are investigating an incident where three men were butchered and torched inside their vehicle in Kilifi County on Wednesday evening, July 7.

Kilifi South sub-county police commander Mohamed Wako said two of the victims were Kenyans of Indian origin.

Though police are yet to establish the motive of the killing, Junju–Madukani village elder said that the men were attacked by a mob that thought they were suspicious characters.

“The occupants of the vehicle were confronted by villagers, who demanded to know their mission. The three men said they were looking for land to buy, but the mob did not believe them,” he said.

“The villagers feared the men might be on a mission to take away their children and women,” he added.

Police officers at the scene of the attack Pulse Live Kenya

The Kilifi South sub-county police commander said the victims had deep cuts on their heads and other visible injuries on other parts of their bodies.

“We are yet to establish the reason behind the killings, we are going back to the scene to find more information on the motive of the killings,” Wako said.

Increase of kidnapping cases

Several adults and children have been reported missing in the country in recent weeks.

Police have now organized a special unit to investigate and solve abduction cases that they believe pose a national security danger.

The squad has been granted extra resources to investigate and fix the problem, according to Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang'i.

“We have agreed that we will deploy special and aggressive resources to deal with this issue. It is a very small matter, as already the DCI has made great strides in tracking the gangs behind this,” Matiang'i said.

According to the CS, some of the reported concerns stem from unlawful business dealings that backfire and result in abductions and murders.

“Some of these incidents involve criminal business attitudes, some of our people have predatory attitudes. People get into informal but criminal business arrangements, but they now resort to murdering each other when they go south. We are, however, sorting it,” he said.

Mwangi Gathanwa