A 40-year-old man died after being electrocuted in Nyeri County in an incident police said is linked to the suspected attempted vandalism of a Kenya Power transformer.
The incident occurred in Mathari Location, where the body of Mutua Wanjohi, a resident of Kihuyo Village, was found lying beside a road.
Police officers, Kenya Power personnel, DCI detectives and scenes-of-crime officers from Nyeri Central Sub-County visited and processed the scene as investigations got underway.
According to preliminary investigations, Wanjohi is believed to have come into contact with live electricity while allegedly attempting to dismantle the transformer.
Assorted transformer components and a ladder, believed by investigators to have been used during the suspected vandalism, were recovered at the scene.
Wanjohi’s body was moved to the Nyeri Provincial General Hospital mortuary, where it was preserved pending an autopsy.
Incidents of power transformer vandalism have been on the rise, prompting renewed calls for action to curb the trend.
The incidents often leave affected areas without electricity, disrupting homes and businesses.
Meanwhile, police in Lower Yatta, Kitui County, have launched investigations into the death of a man who succumbed to injuries sustained under unclear circumstances.
The deceased, identified as Muinde Peter, was initially taken home by a boda boda rider, Joel Muema, with bandages on his right hand and shoulder, while his clothes were stained with blood.
According to his father, Muema told him that his son had earlier been taken to hospital by a good Samaritan after he was found unconscious at his house.
The good Samaritan was reportedly driving towards Kanyangi when he was approached by a woman who said she had found Muinde unconscious in his house and requested help to take him to Kanyangi Hospital.
Muinde’s condition later deteriorated, prompting his father to rush him to Kitui Level Five Hospital, where he died while undergoing treatment.
Police said they are yet to establish who may have inflicted the injuries or the circumstances under which they were sustained.
Preliminary investigations established that Muinde lived alone. A blood-stained pair of trousers and shirt were recovered from the house.
The body was moved to Kitui Referral Hospital mortuary, where it is being preserved pending a postmortem examination to establish the cause of death.
Detectives are investigating the circumstances surrounding the injuries and death, including whether the case amounts to murder.
Elsewhere, police in Masaba North, Nyamira County, have launched investigations after the body of a 40-year-old man was found at Mochénwa Market.
The body of James Areba Samuel was discovered on Tuesday, August 11, 2026, lying on open ground within the trading centre.
Police said there were no visible injuries on the body, although blood was observed oozing from the mouth and nose.
Preliminary investigations indicate that Areba was last seen alive on Monday within Mochénwa Market.
Officers processed and documented the scene before moving the body to Gucha Nursing Home mortuary, where it is being preserved pending a postmortem examination.
Police have launched investigations to establish the circumstances surrounding the man's death.
