An angry mob set ablaze a car that was found carrying a bull that had earlier on been reported stolen in a village in Kakamega County.
Police said the incident happened in Matunda, Likuyani area on Monday evening.
A local had reported her bull was missing from a grazing ground where she had tied it.
She reported she had gone to fetch water for the bull but on coming back she found it missing.
This prompted her to raise an alarm seeking the help of locals in locating the missing bull.
It was then word went around a car had been intercepted by the locals while ferrying a bull.
This prompted the woman to race to the site where she found her alleged missing bull standing next to the car.
The occupants of the car had by then escaped the scene as the locals debated what to do next.
According to police, when the owner of the cow reported the bull had been stolen from her farm, the mob turned angry and set the Toyota Belta on fire.
Police were called to the scene and allowed the woman to go with her bull as they moved the wreckage to the local police station.
Police say there has been a slight increase in cattle theft in the area, which has prompted operations.
More roadblocks have been mounted on major roads as part of efforts to address the menace.
Whereas the menace was common in parts of Rift Valley, it is increasingly gaining momentum in western parts of the country, police say.
This has forced some locals to improvise other ways of keeping their livestock safe from the thieves roaming there.
A major operation is ongoing in a number of North Rift counties to tame the practice. This is believed to have prompted the thieves to move to parts of western Kenya in a bid to fill the gap in the illegal business.
Some of the stolen animals are sold to butcheries.
