Nyandarua: Locals Torch Ndunyu Njeru Police Station After Protester Is Shot During Demos
- An angry mob torched the Ndunyu Njeru Police Station on Thursday night, June 26, after police arrested three suspected cattle rustlers
- The attack came just hours after Interior CS Kipchumba Murkomen issued a shoot-to-kill directive for anyone who threatens police stations
- One boda boda rider was shot and critically injured during the chaos that was caught on video, while the fate of the arrested suspects remains unclear
TUKO.co.ke journalist Harry Ivan Mboto has over three years of experience reporting on politics and current affairs in Kenya
Nyandarua — What began as a routine arrest ended in flames and bloodshed on the night of Thursday, June 26, after an enraged mob stormed the Ndunyu Njeru Police Station.
Source: UGC
Locals, frustrated by a wave of livestock theft in the area, launched a violent assault on the station shortly after three suspects believed to be notorious cattle rustlers were arrested and detained there.
According to eyewitnesses, trouble started when news spread that the alleged cattle thieves had been caught and were being held at the station.
A crowd of irate residents gathered, demanding immediate justice. They wanted to lynch the suspects, whom they blamed for repeated thefts that had disrupted livelihoods and sparked fear in the community.
As tensions escalated, police officers tried to hold back the crowd, but the situation quickly turned chaotic.
In the confrontation that followed, a boda boda rider was reportedly shot and seriously injured. He was rushed to the North Kinangop Catholic Hospital in critical condition.
The shooting only fuelled the crowd’s anger, and in the ensuing melee, the officers were overwhelmed.
The mob set parts of the police station ablaze, destroying several structures and other properties in the compound.
Videos obtained by TUKO.co.ke showed the police station engulfed in flames, with villagers cheering and singing from a distance.
By Friday morning, the fate of the three arrested suspects remained uncertain.
The incident occurred just hours after Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen directed police to shoot to kill anyone attempting to storm police stations.
Why did Murkomen issue shoot-to-kill orders?
His remarks came just a day after protests, which saw demonstrators storm government facilities, including police stations and a law court.
The CS reported that at least nine police stations were targeted during the protests, with five of them, including those in Dagoretti, Molo and Ol Kalou, being set on fire.
A total of 88 police vehicles and 27 government vehicles, belonging to both national and county authorities, were damaged in the unrest.
Murkomen added that some of the attackers aimed to steal firearms and police gear, with five firearms being stolen from Dagoretti Police Post in Kiambu county, while four others were burnt at Gachui Police Post.
Source: Twitter
Did Murkomen justify police brutality during the protests?
In a related development, Murkomen publicly praised police officers for their handling of the June 25 Gen Z protests, which were marred by allegations of excessive force.
He assured the officers involved of full government and ministerial support. Murkomen said the government stands ready to offer legal and logistical backing to any officer accused of wrongdoing, arguing that no member of the police service had crossed any legal lines during the crackdown.
He dismissed criticism from civil society and religious leaders, suggesting they were unlikely to defend law enforcement even when the country’s security was at risk.
Proofreading by Mercy Nyambura, copy editor at TUKO.co.ke.
Source: TUKO.co.ke
