Kenya’s Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen said at least 579 Kenyans were killed and 266 others wounded due to mob justice across the country through the course of last year alone.
While presenting a report to the parliament of Kenya on Wednesday, Murkomen said Kiambu (58), Nairobi (55), and Kisumu (36) recorded the highest fatalities resulting from deadly mobs during the year.
Counties with the fewest cases were Tana River, Marsabit, Taita Taveta, which recorded a single incident each, and Laikipia, which recorded four cases.
According to the ministry, the incidents are on the rise due to the fact that some members of the public perceive investigations and court processes to be slow, ineffective, or biased, a factor fueled by the release of suspects, which prompted communities to take the law into their own hands.
Murkomen attributed the incident to the circulation of crime-related contents shared by social media outlets.
He said the government has taken several measures including enhancing police responsiveness and strengthening collaboration with local communities to address the problem.
He also noted that all police stations are required to maintain a standby team to quickly respond to incidents. A toll-free number, according to Murkomen, allows the public to promptly report crimes.
To restore public trust, Murkomen highlighted the expansion of the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) capabilities to conduct forensic and intelligence-based operations.
He noted that the police service is implementing a digital Occurrence Book to enable the public to monitor cases in real time, further enhancing transparency.
“The government is strengthening community policing, enhancing investigative capacity, improving collaboration with the office of the Director of Public Prosecutions and increasing public engagement to restore confidence among members of the public,” Murkomen added.
MG/as/APA