A 50-year-old man in Laare town of Meru County is being held by police for allegedly killing a Form-One student.
The man is accused of clobbering the 18-year-old Miuine Secondary School student for allegedly picking miraa twigs from his mother’s farm in Miuine village.
The student died on Sunday evening while undergoing treatment at the Maua Methodist Hospital.
Igembe North police boss David Kirui said the victim suffered severe injuries on the head, arms and legs.
The student’s mother, Margaret Kanene, said she had employed the accused in December to guard her miraa farm after the death of her husband.
Ms Kanene said that the accused knew all her children and could not have mistaken any of them for thieves.
On learning about the student’s death, angry residents, who were baying for the guard’s blood, stormed his home and cut down several miraa trees before they were stopped by the police.