Murang’a University of Technology students are on the spot after beating to death a suspected thief, after they forcefully took him from a police vehicle in Murang’a town.

The angry students are said to have demanded the police to handover 21-year-old Brian Muchiri Mwangi from police custody and lynched him a few metres from the university gate in Kiharu estate, Kiharu constituency.

Residents are now accusing the police of giving in to the university students’ demands and handing over Brian to them.

This was after police officers handed over Brian, who was a theft suspect to the students before driving off.

The attempt to burn the body was repulsed by area residents who pleaded with them not to go to that extent after killing him.

The students who were complaining of increased cases of phone snatching in the area pounced on the young man, accusing him of being behind the theft before they frogmarched him on the streets near the university before lynching him.

In video clips witnessed by TV47 reporter, Brian who was bleeding all over is seen begging for his life as students attacked him, trying to force him reveal his accomplices.

On the other hand, angry residents and bodaboda riders who vowed to avenge the death said that it was wrong for the university students to lynch the suspect, yet there was no evidence linking him to the alleged theft of phones.

Brian, who was buried on Friday March 22, at their home in Katiba, Murang’a county, 2KM from the institution, was a well known bodaboda rider near the institution.

During the burial, his body was first taken round the town, escorted by hundreds of bodaboda riders and residents and later taken to the crime scene, where he met his death.

The bodaboda riders and residents held his coffin high and conducted prayers as they demanded justice.

According to eyewitnesses and video collaboration in our possession, Brian was picked by a few university students who accused him of theft.

He was frogmarched towards the university before police from the nearby Murang’a police station intervened to save his life but were overpowered by the students who forcefully took him from the police vehicle.

Police officers had arrested Brian and put him in the police vehicle but the students mobilised others and started shouting as they surrounded the vehicle threatening to stone the police officers and torch the vehicles.

The police, fearing for their lives, handed over the suspect to the students and left.

The students claimed the young man was part of a dreaded gang that has been terrorising students, robbing them of their properties in the area.

However, area residents and bodaboda riders denied the theft allegations against Brian, accusing the students of impunity due to their high population.

At the same time, Pius Mwangi, a bodaboda operator, warned residents against taking law into their own hands, adding that only the courts have the authority to prove guilt or innocence of a suspect.

The incident on Thursday March 21, brought animosity between the students, residents and bodaboda riders in the area.

The tension saw the security committee in the constituency convene a meeting that was attended by  Murang’a East DCC, OCPD and DCIO, university security and students leadership team, bodaboda riders to ensure harmony prevails.

During the meeting, bodaboda riders were advised not to avenge Brian’s death, as police officers promised to investigate the matter.

Consequently, the residents in their hundreds and bodaboda riders attended Brian’s burial which was peaceful as tens of armed anti riot police in five police vehicles kept watch from a distance.

According to Murathi Magochi, a youth leader and a neighbor, the few university students should not allocate themselves the roles of judge, jury and executioner.

On the other hand, the students accused the police of doing nothing when they reported cases of theft, saying that it was one of the reasons that fueled mob justice.

Murathi said the law provides that every person is innocent until proven guilty. 

Article 50(2)(a) of the Constitution provides that “every person has the right to a fair trial, which includes the right to be presumed innocent until the contrary is proved.

The residents asked the police to identify key suspects among the people at the scene of murder while mob justice was being meted out.

The family was in pain, as it demanded for justice, insisting that Brian was at his prime and had just started living his life before the cruel hand of death took him in a very painful way.

Attempts to get comments from the university’s chief security proved futile after he failed to pick or return our calls as the police who are investigating the incident avoided commenting on the issue  referring the writer to the area DCC.