Two individuals suspected to be police officers were killed by a mob in unclear circumstances at a market in Tharaka-Nithi County on April 29, 2023.
The identities of the victims have yet to be confirmed as they were not in uniform at the time of the incident. According to reports, the two went to an M-Pesa shop at Kanthanje market, where they engaged in a commotion with an attendant identified as Murithi Njeru.
A distress call by Njeru attracted a mob that beat the two to death. Njeru sustained head injuries suspected to have been inflicted by a sharp object.
The incident is the latest in a string of violent incidents involving the police in the region. Just a week prior, an officer attached to Mukothima police post reportedly shot and injured a bar operator at Mukothima market following a confrontation.
Three weeks ago, Tharaka-Nithi County Bodaboda Operators’ Association Chairman Willis Mugambi was shot dead, allegedly by a police officer, during three days of demonstrations in Chuka town over the killing of a civilian.
