The families of youthful men who were allegedly killed by mob justice on Sunday, August 8 in Kitengela are now crying for justice disputing claims that their kinsmen were criminals.
The four were reportedly lynched by villagers of Enkamuriaki over suspicion of being livestock thieves and the three-sport motorcycles they were using burnt along their documents.
Two among the four were brothers while the other two were friends who happened to be an employer and his employee.
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The two brothers Victor Mwangi Wanjiru,25, and Fredrick Mureithi Wanjiru,30, along with their two other friends Mike George Onduso,29, and Nicholas Kyengo Musa,28, were reported murdered along a busy seasonal river in the village at around 9 pm.
According to family members, their kin has no criminal record whatsoever.
They also question how their kin could have been in the village to steal livestock using sport motorcycles with no carriers.
The family instead maintains that the four had visited Onduso sister home in the remote rural village to celebrate the birthday of one of them before they were attacked by unknown people.
Back at their home in Syokimau, Mwangi and Mureithi family have only been left in tears and other sports motorcycles of their children.
The family says the mother of the two brothers Lucy Wanjiru Mureithi who works in the United Kingdom since 2018 has been boosting his working sons financially.
"As a family, we are convinced beyond reasonable doubt that our sons were not in the village to commit a crime. Mwangi and Mureithi left home on Friday to go and celebrate Mwangi's birthday that was set for Sunday. On Saturday Murethi come home to pick some tools for repairing a motorcycle and joined his brother and friends in the village later in the afternoon. They had informed a neighbour friend that they were out to celebrate Mwangi birthday at the serene bushy area away from the bustle of the usual town."
In continuation;
"It is not the first time they were visiting the village with their sport motorcycles. Motorcycle racing is always their leisure activities and they always went out racing to unwind. The two brothers are working and or have good morals. How could they have gone to the village to steal livestock with their sport motorcycles? Their two friends are well known to us,’ Joseph Macharia Mureithi, their uncle stated.
Mwangi is a self-employed sound engineer with his machines while Mureithi is a graphic designer who works in Nairobi.
"The boys' mother is devastated, she has been left with no single kid. It is sad that she lost her young vibrant sons in such a painful inhumane act. How will my sister recover from such a horrible happening? We just hope and pray that investigating officers will get to the bottom of the murder and ensure justice prevails,’’ Philip Maina, another uncle noted.
The family has since moved the bodies of the two to Kenyatta University mortuary with burials preparations underway. The two will be buried at their rural home in Leshao Pondo Nyahururu.
On the other hand, Onduso who hails from Nyamira County owns a tattoo shop and Nicholus works as his employee in Nairobi and they were both residents of Mlolongo.
According to Nichols's father, Patrick Musa his son was a disciplined person who easily walked away from an argument.
"I am shocked beyond what words can express. Nico my only son was so peaceful and well behaved. Why did they opt to kill such an innocent man? My third-born child has never had any criminal record or questionable character,’’ Musa said.
He said the family has embarked on preparations to lay him to rest at their rural home in Machakos County.
According to the postmortem conducted at the City mortuary on Thursday, August 12, the four died as a result of injuries inflicted in their heads using sharp and blunt objects.
The families are now calling on concerned security agencies to hasten investigations on the motive of the killing and ensure justice prevails.
Isinya sub-county police commander Charles Chepkong'a says investigations into the matter are underway but so far no arrest has been made.
He reassures the families that no stone will be left unturned in pursuing justice for the young men.
"This is a very unfortunate incident. We are working around the clock to put our evidence together in an effort to profile and arrest those who were involved. We are following all crucial leads that will help us unravel the incident,’’ Chepkong’a said.
Chepkong’a has also sent a stern warning to members of the public to detest from taking law into their hands.
'There is no justification for killing anybody for whatever reason. The culprits involved will face the wrath of the law and they will serve as an example to the society,’’ he added.
