Officer killed as gang attacks Kinarani AP camp

Kilifi, Kenya: A police officer was killed and two of his colleagues injured at an Administration Police (AP) camp in Kaloleni, Kilifi County on Thursday night in yet another daring raid.

Witnesses said gang of 15 armed men, suspected to be members of a secessionist group, attacked the camp at Kinarani at around 10 in the night.

Kaloleni Deputy County Commissioner Fedrick Ndunga said the gang overpowered the four officers who were on duty, before they launched an attack.

Reports indicate one member of the group gained entry into the camp by pretending he wanted to report a robbery incident, before the others pounced on the unsuspecting officers.

“As the officer was busy recording the suspect’s statement, a gang walked in armed with crude weapons and attacked the officers at the main desk killing one and injuring two others,” said Ndunga.

Mr Ndunga said preliminary investigations indicate that after they chopped the officer’s hand they dragged him for about 25 metres away from the camp where they killed him.

“The dead officer comes from a different AP camp at Mwanamwinga. He was brought here two weeks ago because the officer in charge was on leave,” he said.

The injured police officers were rushed to Pandya Memorial Hospital in Mombasa. Reports show that the attackers took off with one G3 rifle and 19 rounds of ammunition.

Following the attack, Kenya Defense Forces personnel from 77 battalion in Mariakani were called in to pursue the killers and recover the weapons.

Kilifi Police Commandant Mr Joseph Nthege said police have launched a man hunt to arrest the raiders.

“It is too early to establish whether the gang are members of the outlawed Mombasa Republican Council. We are doing everything possible to unearth the truth,” said Mr Nthege.

The raid comes barely two days after the Kilifi County Commissioner Mr Albert Kobia sent an alert warning that the terror group of Al-shabbab was planning to raid in Kilifi County. Kobia said they had received reliable intelligence reports that the gang was planning an attack and subsequently warned the public to be on high alert.

Reports indicate that the terror gang was using some mosques in Kilifi to recruit and radicalise youth ready for a planned attack.

Yesterday MRC Secretary General Hamza Randu refuted claims that his organisation was behind the attack and warned the police against using the group as a scapegoat.

“Kilifi government officials have always associated us with attacks we have no clue of. This is the second time they have made such accusations and this time round we will move to court to sue for defamation,” Randu said in a phone interview.

On November 2, a gang suspected to be members of MRC also tried to gain entry into Nyali barracks in Mombasa and killed one soldier. 

But MRC denied that they were involved in the attack.

To prevent another attack, Ndunga promised to beef up security at the camp. “I’ll increase the number of officers to ten in this camp to serve the locals. In the meantime, I have ordered the locals to help the police in tracking down the suspects and retrieving the stolen ammunition,” said Ndunga.

Kaloleni member of parliament Gunga Mwinga described the killing as unfortunate and asked the police to beef up security in the area and arrest the criminals.

He noted that the AP camp was established more than six years ago to guarantee security to locals but now it appears that criminals had seen the loopholes and are taking advantage of the lapses.

“I want to urge the locals to be vigilant and report any suspicious activity. I also want to urge members of the public to report if they know anything in relation to the attackers or the stolen ammunition,” he said.