Mob injustice: Kisumu’s cycle of crime and innocent lives lost

• On October 4, 2026, three young men were reportedly attacked and set ablaze at Migosi Junction in Kisumu after attending a music concert at Mamboleo Stadium.
• In another incident, Justus Agai, a teacher at Kagimba Primary School, was killed in a suspected robbery with violence on October 23, about 50 metres from his home.

On September 26, Lilian Okello received a telephone call from a stranger instructing her to rush to the mortuary at Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital in Kisumu.

At the hospital, police officers asked her to identify a body. Among those laid out was that of her nephew, Robert Ouko, 28, whose body bore visible injuries.

Ouko was among several men killed in Ombeyi, Muhoroni Sub-County, on September 25, 2026, following allegations of robbery.

“He died in a painful way, but that is what you get when you don’t listen to your parents,” Ms Okello said.

His death was one of several violent incidents reported in Kisumu County in recent months, exposing residents to a cycle of alleged crime, public anger and deadly retaliation. 

Families have been left searching for missing relatives, identifying bodies and raising money for postmortems and burials, while some residents have taken the law into their own hands.

Ms Okello took Ouko into her care when he was six, following the death of his mother, her sister. She enrolled him in school in Kisumu, hoping to give him a stable upbringing, but he began missing classes by Class Three and eventually dropped out of school.

“He would wake up early and only come back at night,” Ms Okello recalled.

When Ouko was 15, Ms Okello told him he could no longer live with her if he refused to follow her rules. At 18, Ouko said he wanted to establish his own life. His aunt eventually allowed him to leave.

Thereafter, contact became sporadic. Ms Okello later learnt that Ouko had allegedly joined a gang in Kisumu, although he denied the claims.

Ms Okello's efforts to trace Ouko yielded little information. She said he changed identities and moved between houses, and she had lost track of where he lived by the time he died.

Ouko was buried on October 14 in Kendu Bay, Homa Bay County, next to his mother’s grave.

Muhoroni Sub-County Police Commander Fredrick Ombaka said the September 25 violence followed disorder involving a group accompanying the body of Hussein Ramadhan, alias Bolt, from the Kisumu County Referral Hospital mortuary to his home in Kasese.

According to Mr Ombaka, members of the group allegedly robbed members of the public at Chiga Centre, prompting officers from Chiga Police Station to intervene. Another group reportedly proceeded towards Ombeyi Centre, where mobile phones were allegedly stolen.

Residents pursued the suspected offenders, and some were attacked.

Police said officers found several men being assaulted and took them to Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital. Some were pronounced dead on arrival, while others died during treatment.

Police confirmed to the Daily Nation that five men had been assaulted, while four were identified as having been killed: Robert Ouko, Simon Odhiambo Okuta, Ismael Oduor and Jared Omondi.

Mr Ombaka said no arrests had been made in connection with the alleged robberies at the time of his account, although police had received complaints about stolen phones.

He linked the group to a criminal network known as Katalang, saying some girls were allegedly used to keep stolen property.

“They have recruited young boys, including young girls,” he said.

The commander said officers had arrested a suspected ringleader whose case was before the court, but the group had since fragmented, with different individuals assuming leadership roles in various sub-locations.

On October 12, police arrested two people suspected of links to the outlawed Katalang gang in Muhoroni. The operation reportedly led to the recovery of crude weapons and customised t-shirts bearing the name “Bimos Empire”, which police associated with the group. Mr Ombaka said further operations were planned.

In a separate incident on October 4, 2026, three young men were reportedly attacked and set ablaze at Migosi Junction in Kisumu after attending the Fishermen Experience music concert at Mamboleo Stadium.

Kisumu County Commissioner Ramadhan Mwabudzo said they were suspected of attacking a motorcycle rider and attempting to steal his motorcycle. A junior police officer told the Daily Nation investigators suspected mistaken identity and were working to establish what happened.

The families later identified the men and disputed the allegations. Francis Owino worked as a mortician at Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital. His cousin, Alphonce Owino, was pursuing a course in the same field and was on attachment at Ambira. Their cousin, Tom Owino, was also found at the scene.

Stacus Owino Ogola said his son and cousins were innocent. He had expected the young men to return home for a funeral, with a church fundraiser scheduled for the following day. Francis called to say work would prevent him from travelling, while Alphonce also said he would not return immediately.

The next Monday morning, mortuary superintendent Richard Moracha called to ask why Francis had failed to report for duty. Mr Ogola tried calling his son, but his phone was unreachable. He continued searching for information until he received a call indicating Francis might have died.

“I cannot believe it. I cannot believe it at all,” he said.

Francis’ wife, Brenda Akinyi, was pregnant and had depended on him financially. His mother, Mary Owino, said she could not understand why the young men had been burnt.

Janet Atieno, a mortician at Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital who knew Francis and Alphonce, said she had never witnessed them stealing.

“There is no evidence showing any theft by Frank’s group,” she said.

Civil rights activist Olga Atieno Owino said a video circulating on social media helped relatives identify the three men. She called for investigators to establish whether a robbery had occurred, who reported it and what prompted the pursuit and attack.

“It is quite sad that one family is losing three people at the same time,” she said.

Jacob Ogambo, chairman of the Kisumu County Boda-Boda Association, recounted allegations that a rider had been attacked with a machete and that someone had attempted to steal his motorcycle. He said the three men killed had happened to be at the scene at the wrong time.

In another incident, Justus Agai, a teacher at Kagimba Primary School, was killed in a suspected robbery with violence on October 23, about 50 metres from his home.

His brother, Henry Agai, said the teacher left his M-Pesa shop near Ahero Interchange around 7:20pm and headed home on his motorcycle. Preliminary investigations indicated that two assailants on a motorcycle blocked his path and struck him on the head with a blunt object.

They reportedly stole his bag containing personal belongings and an undisclosed amount of money before fleeing. Investigations are ongoing.

In Chiga, Kisumu East, a home invasion in the early hours of July 30 left one resident traumatised and forced him to relocate.

Three men reportedly scaled the gate of a residential compound at about 3am and entered a house. CCTV footage captured them confronting occupants before leaving with valuables.

The resident, who requested anonymity, said the intruders carried a crowbar, a machete and what appeared to be a pistol.

“They entered with a crowbar. They shone a flashlight inside and found me standing there with a panga. When they realised I was not afraid, one of them pressed something that looked like a pistol. He threatened to shoot me if I made a sound,” he said.

The attackers slapped him before taking valuables.

“After three days, I relocated to a different place because the trauma would not allow me to have a good sleep,” he said.

Police subsequently arrested Reagan Otieno Silvester at Kisumu Rotary College before following leads to Rabuor in Kadibo Sub-County. Police said Mr Otieno led investigators to an area where Mohamed Ramadhan, alias Moha, was believed to be hiding.

Officers arrested Christopher Onyango Okoth and Fidel Omondi Were, while Mr Ramadhan escaped after scaling a perimeter wall.

A search of Mr Ramadhan’s rented house in Nyang’ande reportedly recovered an imitation firearm resembling a pistol beneath a bed, as well as several SIM cards.

In April, five men suspected of belonging to the Chude Chude gang were killed in separate incidents in Ahero town, Nyando Sub-County, over two days.

The violence began on Friday, April 4, after boda-boda operators reportedly regrouped to retaliate against gang members following an attack that seriously injured one of their colleagues. After a day-long manhunt, three suspects were reportedly cornered and killed by a mob.

Two others were killed the following day.

The incidents highlight the risks of allegations of crime triggering retaliation, with suspects killed before the claims against them can be tested in court.

Audi Ogada, a civil rights defender and chairman of the Kisumu City Residents Voice Association, said residents had increasingly become victims of attacks in the city and its outskirts.

He described alleged robberies and assaults involving people on foot and motorcycle riders, with attackers carrying weapons ranging from crude implements to firearms.

“It is irrefutable that in the last few months our streets and residences have been taken over by criminals, some walking on foot, others on motorbikes, armed with all sorts of crude weapons, including guns, both legal and illegal,” he said.

Mr Ogada said people had reported attacks while returning from work, visiting markets, moving between neighbourhoods and attending social gatherings. But he also warned that public anger was fuelling mob attacks and undermining the rule of law.

“The residents, through mob justice, have taken over and are killing suspects, some of whom are minors,” he said.

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