A motorbike theft suspect survived the wrath of an irate mob after he was rescued by police officers from Kamulu Police Post on the night of Monday, November 1, 2021.
According to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), the suspect was cornered by an angry mob of boda boda riders after he stole a motorbike belonging to one of them.
Morris Simiyu had dropped off a passenger at the Manyatta area and parked his bike not far from the road, at around 8 pm. He then approached a client whom he was engaging to hire his services when a man suddenly jumped on his bike.
"Before Simuyu would comprehend what was happening, the man tried to kick start the bike but failed in his first attempt. Simuyu raised alarm as he ran towards his only source of livelihood, but the determined thug gave the bike a second spirited kick, roaring the beast to life before speeding off towards Kamulu," DCI tweeted.
"Simiyu’s desperate wails attracted fellow boda boda riders who upon getting wind of what had happened, gave chase in a bid to recover the bike," the DCI added.
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About 30 boda boda riders pursued the thug in a 14-kilometre wild race and caught up with him about 300 metres from Kamulu Police post.
Upon noticing that he could not outmanoeuvre the irate riders, the thug screeched to a halt and jumped from the bike, opting to run towards the police station. But before he could get there, the irate riders caught up with him and gave him a dog’s beating, leaving him to contend with a swollen face and fractured limbs for his crime.
It took the intervention of police officers from the post to save the life of the suspect, from the wrath of the angry mob of boda boda operators.
Even after the suspect had been arrested, the enraged riders attempted to snatch him from the officers for what they described as instant justice. But the officers whisked him to the safety of a police vehicle and immediately rushed him to a city hospital where he is fighting for his life.
This incident follows the arrest of two suspects in Moyale three weeks ago, believed to be behind the spate of motorbike disappearances in the country.
The suspects who were in possession of over 350 logbooks and motorcycle number plates, were arrested by detectives following an operation that also led to the recovery of motorbikes stolen from western Kenya and other parts of the country.
The stolen bikes are sold to bandits in remote parts of the country.
