One suspect dies, another escapes with multiple injuries in a cattle theft incident

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A suspect linked to the theft of three cows was beaten to death, while his accomplice sustained serious injuries after they were found driving the animals from Nandi towards Uasin Gishu County.

The thieves, whose identities are yet to be established, are said to have stolen the animals belonging to Truphosa Jepchumba at Kabisaga village, Cheptil, in Nandi County, on Monday night.

Jepchumba reported the livestock theft to the Lemook police post of Kapkaren Salient Police Station after noticing their disappearance in the evening.

According to Turbo Sub County Police Commander Patrick Wekesa, his officers from Kipkaren received a tip-off that individuals were driving three cows towards the border between Nandi and Uasin Gishu counties.

He said that before the officers arrived, the suspects had already been subjected to mob justice, but the police later rescued them with multiple injuries.

The OCPD further stated that when the suspects realised their lives were in danger, they started running away, leaving the cows behind, but angry residents, who were baying for their blood, overpowered them and beat them with crude weapons.

"Let me thank members of the public for the updates they always provide whenever they have come across strange personalities, or like the issue we are discussing today about animal theft; this is what we have been doing as police to encourage the public on the importance of working together,” said Wekesa.

“As much as we appreciate your recent cooperation with the police, please don’t take the law into your own hands. The law is very clear that once a crime is committed, the person is handed to the court to determine whether he or she is guilty or not; let the police do their work,” he appealed.

He said the police, with the assistance of members of the public, managed to recover the three animals and rescued the two suspects from an angry mob that wanted to lynch them.

The two suspects, Wekesa said, were rushed to Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital. However, upon arrival, one of them was later pronounced dead, and the other was admitted in a critical condition.

“You can now see the damage caused to their parents; the two are still young but want to become rich faster. This has now cost their lives, especially with their education, because all of them are pursuing degrees which have now gone to waste," he added.

The police boss also mentioned that the three recovered animals are detained at Kapyemit police post pending collection, and that authorities are waiting for the identification of their owners and postmortem results from the deceased.