Mombasa police gun down suspected criminals, arrest three

Three suspected gang members arrested in Kisauni, Mombasa County, on November 15, 2019. PHOTO | MOHAMED AHMED | NATION MEDIA GROUP

Police in Mombasa have killed a suspected machete-wielding criminal in Kisauni sub county.

The suspect in his early 20s was gunned down at around 5.30pm in Mina Love area in Mishomoroni.

Three other suspects were arrested during the operation, according to Kisauni Sub County Police Commander Julius Kiragu.

ATTACK

“Our officers sprang to action after getting information that eight suspected criminals were planning to attack at night. They were hiding in a building under construction,” said Mr Kiragu adding that five other suspects escaped. 

“We recovered four machetes from the suspects,” added Mr Kiragu.

The incident happened two days after four Technical University of Mombasa (TUM) students were attacked and injured.

One of the students, Evance Munene, is fighting for his life at the Intensive Care Unit at the Coast General Hospital.

“Munene is the one admitted at the ICU, we are tired of our colleagues being attacked each day,” said Harry Sululu, a student leader.

STABBED SIX TIMES

Cases of students being attacked in Kisauni have increased. Technical University of Mombasa students are the most affected.

Last month, Golden Adhiambo, a student at Kenya Coast National Polytechnic was stabbed six times by criminals in the Mishomoroni area.

The incident happened only few weeks after the body of Caleb Kiplangat, a Mechanical Engineering student at TUM was found in Junda area.

In June, two other students from TUM were attacked.

David Mwaura, a fourth year student from the Faculty of Applied and Health Science, died after being stabbed four times by the criminals in Hongera area. Another female student from the institution was seriously injured.

In April, another student from TUM was attacked and injured in Kisauni.

CRIMINAL GANGS

Security bosses say an elite security team has been formed in Mombasa to deal with the criminal gangs who have been terrorising residents in Kisauni, Nyali and Likoni sub counties.

Coast Regional Coordinator John Elung’ata said, the multiagency team will ensure it tames the criminals.

“The special team will be out to deal with the criminal gangs, we are determined to ensure that we have peaceful holidays in the entire region,” said Mr Elung’ata.

A Mombasa-based human rights group has accused the police of failing to tame the criminal gangs in Mombasa.

The group’s executive director Hussein Khalid said police must work on its intelligence to deal with the gangs.