One South Sudanese died while his four colleagues were injured after a mob accusing them of harassing a woman at Mawanga Trading Center, Nakuru, attacked them on Friday 19th March 2021.
According to an anonymous witness, the deceased, Garang Ajang (21), and his colleague, later identified as Mathew Gor (26), harassed a young woman by tearing off her clothes and bra.
The witness claimed the two attacked a good Samaritan trying to rescue the woman, sparking rage among the onlookers, who resorted to attacking them. The two escaped to their house, which was nearby, but the mob followed them there and attacked them.
The surviving victims, however, had a different account. Gor claimed that he went to the shop with Ajang only to find a woman that started accusing them of harassing her. He accused the mob of hurling stones at them without questioning the incident.
Seeing that the mob was uninterested in listening to their side of the story, Gor explained that they resorted to running to their house, where the other three victims, Ajang Chol (28), Bul Garang (28), and Elijah Akuien (25) were.
The mob followed them at the house and stoned them, injuring Ajang almost to death. The mob then proceeded to burn the house using paraffin while the men were in the house.
The deceased died while receiving treatment on Sunday while his brother, Chol, is still recuperating at the ICU. The remaining three are admitted at Nakuru Level Five Hospital. Deputy Medical Superintendent Dr. James Waweru stated that the three were nursing second-degree burn injuries.
The incident has since caused diplomatic tension between the South Sudanese and Kenyan governments. South Sudanese Community- Nakuru, Bol Ajak condemned the incident by terming it a sad one.
Mr. Ajak claimed that both governments were committed to investigating the case and finding permanent solutions to prevent future similar incidences.
