Mob kills military man in a case of mistaken identity

Three men, including a military accountant, were lynched by a mob in a tragic case of mistaken identity.

What started as an evening trip to buy birds ended in tragedy after the chief accountant in the Department of Defence was lynched by a mob that accused him of being a cattle rustler. The man’s driver and farm hand were also killed in the Tuesday night incident.

Mr Elkana Syong’o, a brother of former Gwassi MP Zadock Syong’o, had travelled to Nyarongi village in Migori to buy quail, a species of birds locally known as Aluru. He intended to add the birds to a flock he was keeping in his farm at Ogwedhi village, 30 kilometres from Migori.

On reaching the home of the bird keeper at about 8pm, a mob attacked Mr Syong’o, his driver, Moses Amek, and farm worker only identified as Moi, on allegations that they were cattle rustlers.

“The victims were first hacked to death before they were set ablaze,” said Mr Kennedy Oroko, an in-law of one of the three men.

Defence spokesman Bogita Ongeri yesterday said: “We are shocked at the manner of his death, which we came to learn about last evening. DoD is leaving it to the police to establish what may have happened.”

Mr Syong’o, a large-scale maize farmer, had travelled from Nairobi to work on his farm. His family lives in Kitengela, on the outskirts of the city.

On Wednesday, police said that the on the ill-fated night, Mr Syong’o was driven to Nyarongi in his Toyota Double Cabin pick-up with the sole purpose of buying the birds.

“He bought eight of them and returned to his vehicle when he was confronted by a group of villagers who accused them of being criminals. He produced his staff card but the locals could hear none of that,” said Mr Lumumba Okoth, Mr Syong’o’s first cousin.

The three were burnt to ashes, so was their vehicle.

Pleas by the birds’ owner to defend his visitors fell on deaf ears. He too was beaten and had to run for his life. He was being treated at the Migori District Hospital on Wednesday.

Area assistant chief Eunice Makanga said she called the police at 10:04pm before the three were killed about an hour and a half later.

The officers on duty said their vehicle had no head lamps and only arrived to the scene at 3am when the men had already been lynched.

Area OCPD Alfred Makoma said his team arrived at the scene of the crime in the shortest time possible.

Some villagers on Wednesday said the three were innocent and only fell victims due to the ignorance of their attackers.

“We have had increased cases of cattle thefts in our area with rustlers involved using vehicles. Some people think any visitors coming to our area at night driving are criminals,” said a villager who asked not to be named.

“Their was no exhibit linking them to cattle theft. I believe the trio might have been innocent and other factors might have prompted the killing although we have already launched investigations,” said Mr Makoma. By Wednesday evening, Mr Syong’o’s family was making arrangements to take his body to a funeral home in Nairobi.

“We want justice to be done and culprits brought to book,” said Mr Aroko.