By E, KNA
A suspected motorcycle thief has been lynched by residents in Madogo, Tana River County, following a botched theft attempt that left the motorcycle owner fighting for his life in hospital.
The early morning incident occurred when the suspect, in the company of an accomplice who escaped, allegedly attempted to steal a parked motorcycle from a homestead. The commotion drew out the owner, who confronted the thieves. During the struggle, the suspect was stabbed in the leg, while the owner sustained serious stab wounds to the neck and chest and was rushed to hospital in critical condition.
Confirming the incident, Bangali Sub County Deputy County Commissioner (DCC) Joseph Kipkorir said the suspect tried to flee but was followed by angry residents through a trail of blood before being caught and burned to death.
“The information we have is that this is a syndicate of motorcycle theft, and most of the stolen motorcycles are taken to Bura. We will work closely with fellow security agencies in Bura to dismantle this criminal network,” Kipkorir said.
He cautioned residents against taking the law into their hands, noting that valuable intelligence was lost. “If the suspect had been handed over to the police, we could have interrogated him to uncover where the motorcycles are taken and identify other suspects involved in the syndicate,” he added.
Athman Manyara, a local resident, regretted the rising cases of violent robberies in the area and urged security agencies to intensify patrols and surveillance to tame crime. He revealed that some residents attempted to save the suspect and hand him over to police, but heightened public anger made it impossible.
“People here are fed up because this is the fourth such incident in two months. That is why they decided to lynch the suspect. Unfortunately, incidents like this are fueling conflict between communities in Madogo. When someone from one community kills a person from another, the blame is often generalized to the whole group,” Manyara explained.
Local leaders have urged calm, warning that retaliatory attacks fueled by mistrust could worsen insecurity. Authorities have assured residents that ongoing investigations will target motorcycle theft rings without bias against any community.