By Robert Mutasi 
A suspected cattle thief was beaten to death while his alleged accomplice was seriously injured after residents intercepted them while driving three stolen cows from Nandi County towards Uasin Gishu.
The two suspects, whose identities have not been disclosed, were allegedly found with the animals after they were stolen from Kabisaga village in Cheptil, Nandi County, on Monday night.
The cows belonged to Truphosa Jepchumba, who reported the theft at Lemook Police Post under Kapkaren Salient Police Station after discovering that the animals were missing.
Turbo Sub-County Police Commander Patrick Wekesa said police officers at Kipkaren received information from members of the public that two men were driving three cows towards the Nandi-Uasin Gishu border.
By the time officers arrived, however, the suspects had already been attacked by an angry crowd.
Wekesa said the suspects abandoned the animals and attempted to flee after apparently realising that residents were pursuing them.
The two were eventually caught and assaulted with crude weapons before police officers arrived and rescued them from the mob.
Police recovered all three cows and took the injured suspects to Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital for treatment.
One of the suspects was pronounced dead after arriving at the hospital, while the second was admitted in critical condition.
Wekesa commended residents for providing information that enabled police to trace the stolen livestock but warned them against administering mob justice to suspected criminals.
“Let me thank members of the public for the updates they always provide whenever they come across strange personalities, or like the issue we are discussing today about animal theft,” Wekesa said.
He urged residents to continue working with security agencies while allowing police and the courts to handle suspects.
“As much as we appreciate your recent cooperation with the police, please don’t take the law into your own hands. The law is very clear that once a crime is committed, the person is handed to the court to determine whether he or she is guilty or not. Let the police do their work,” he said.
The police commander said the incident demonstrated the importance of community cooperation in combating livestock theft, particularly in areas bordering Nandi and Uasin Gishu.
He also expressed concern over the consequences of the incident, saying the suspects were still young and their alleged involvement in crime had resulted in serious consequences for their families.
The three recovered cows are being held at Kapyemit Police Post as authorities work to complete investigations and facilitate their return to the owner.
Police are also awaiting postmortem results for the deceased suspect as investigations continue into both the alleged livestock theft and the circumstances surrounding his death.
Authorities have urged residents to report suspected cattle theft and other crimes to the police instead of taking suspected offenders into their own hands.