Police in Homa Bay County, Kenya are investigating an incident in which a clergyman was assaulted by irked residents and his car burnt after being mistaken for a livestock thief while he was having fun with a woman in a thicket.
The clergyman, who belongs to a local Christian church, lost the car in Jwelu village, Kakumu Sub-location, Ramula Location, within Rachuonyo East Sub-county.
The incident began when residents spotted the clergyman’s vehicle parked in a thicket.
Suspecting that the vehicle might belong to thieves intending to steal cattle in the area, they mobilised themselves.
Their suspicion was fuelled by the frequent livestock thefts in the region, where small vehicles are often used to transport stolen livestock.
When the residents approached the vehicle, they found the clergyman with a woman.
They confronted the clergyman and demanded an explanation for his presence in the thicket.
However, the pastor attempted to flee, prompting them to apprehend him.
While one group of the mob continued to assault the clergyman, another group set his vehicle ablaze. Residents claimed they discovered some trousers in the vehicle.
The mob continued to assault the clergyman until some individuals who recognised him intervened. They informed the mob that they were attacking a pastor.
Upon learning that the victim was a pastor, the mob released him. However, he had sustained serious head injuries and was rushed to a hospital for treatment.
Meanwhile, the woman fled when she saw the clergyman being assaulted.
