Form 3 Student Killed In Nairobi Amidst Worrying Rise In Cases Of ‘Mob Justice’

NAIROBI, Kenya, Nov 1- A form three student was on Sunday killed during a botched robbery incident in the Kariobangi area, Nairobi, in the last incident of mob justice.

In the last few days, more than 6 people have been killed in such incidents within Nairobi.

The student is said to have been in the company of two others and was snatching valuables from pedestrians when an alarm was raised.

Police and witnesses say the two other suspects managed to escape on foot while the student was cornered and stoned to death.

There was a standoff between police and some locals who opposed the picking up of the body of the student on Sunday night saying he was to be buried early on Monday morning according to their religious tradition.

Police later allowed them to pick and keep the body for the burial event.

There has been a rise in cases of mob justice, despite members of the public being urged to hand over suspects of crime to police for action.

Experts attribute the dangerous trend is as a result of a failed criminal justice system where justice takes long to be served or nothing is done, at all.

The practice of mob justice has for many years been happening in Kenya unchecked. In the process, lives and property worth millions have been lost.

According to HAKI Africa Executive Director Hussein Khalid, the trend shows that whenever cases of crime are reported to be high, cases of mob justice also increase.

“The rise in mob justice is usually an indication of lack of faith in the justice system. When crime becomes rampant, the people question the work of security authorities. They feel the security authorities are not doing enough to rein in on insecurity and so they choose to do so themselves,” he said.