Police in Kericho are holding a middle-aged man who allegedly attempted to steal a government parastatal vehicle along the Kericho-Kisumu highway on the outskirts of Kericho town on Monday.

According to one of the close associates of the parastatal’s director who spoke on condition of anonymity, the driver of the SUV had parked the vehicle by the roadside and left the engine running to pick up something from a roadside shop.

Just as the driver was busy inside the shop, four men emerged, opened the doors of the high-end keyless entry vehicle and sped off with it.

After getting out of the shops, the driver noticed his vehicle being driven off at a distance ahead of him.

He immediately instructed a boda boda operator who was waiting for customers around the area to chase the vehicle and as they approached, the vehicle lost the signal and the engine switched off forcing the commandeering driver to lose control of it, veered off the road and rammed into an electricity pole damaging the front part of the vehicle extensively.

Three suspects leapt out of the vehicle and fled on foot before disappearing into a nearby tea farm along the highway.

But the driver was not lucky as he was trapped inside the vehicle and could not get out easily.

Members of the public surrounded the vehicle, pulled him out and started attacking the suspect before being rescued by administration officers who subsequently arrested and handed him over to the police.

The damaged vehicle was towed to Kericho police station as the suspect was booked in the same station's custody.