Kisii: Angry Mob Kills 5 Family Members, Burns Down 6 Houses
Tragedy struck Metembe village in Masimba Ward, Kisii County, on the night of Thursday, April 17. A mob of angry villagers stormed a family’s homestead and brutally killed five members, setting six houses ablaze in a shocking act of mob justice.
The victims, including the family’s father and mother, were accused of involvement in the mysterious murder of a local man found dead a month earlier. Although investigations into that case were still ongoing, the villagers acted with rage and no mercy.
How the Attack Unfolded
According to police reports, four family members were burned alive inside their homes. The mob torched all six houses in the compound during the raid. The fifth victim was hacked to death while attempting to flee the chaos.
Two other relatives narrowly escaped and have since gone into hiding. Their whereabouts remain unknown.
Police Respond: “This Was a Criminal Act”
South Masaba Deputy County Commissioner Jane Manene confirmed that the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) is now handling the case. A formal probe into the gruesome killings is underway.
Kisii County Police Commander Ronald Kirui strongly condemned the lynching. He said,
“This was a criminal act that must be met with the full force of the law.”
He added that a team of detectives is already pursuing leads and trying to identify those who organized the deadly assault.
Kirui warned locals:
“No one should take the law into their own hands. This must stop.”
Charred Homes, Broken Hearts
Police officers arrived at the scene early Friday morning. What they found was devastating: blackened ruins, the smell of smoke, and the silence of loss. Forensic teams began collecting evidence among the rubble and ash.
The bodies of the five victims were taken to Kisii Teaching and Referral Hospital morgue. Autopsies will be conducted to determine the exact cause of death for each.
Mob Justice or Misguided Revenge?
Authorities have also reopened the earlier murder investigation that sparked the attack. Preliminary findings suggest that the slain family might have been wrongly accused, raising fears that innocent lives were lost due to mob fury and misinformation.
Eyewitnesses claimed that some of the villagers involved in the attack have since fled Metembe. Police are now hunting them down.
As justice is sought, a once quiet village remains in shock—scarred by violence, loss, and deep mistrust.
ALSO READ: KDF Colonel Who Survived Crash That Killed Francis Ogolla Emotionally Reflects on Healing Journey
Kisii: Angry Mob Kills 5 Family Members, Burns Down 6 Houses
