Twelve people have been killed by police and gangsters in the past two weeks in Mombasa County.
The killings occurred in Likoni and Kisauni, where the majority of Mombasa’s poor live and where violent crime, gang warfare and police killings are common.
Police and rights groups yesterday said two more young men were shot and killed in Likoni by gunmen. And The Standard established that Hightone Msagha, 53, was hacked to death at around 7pm at Shika Adabu in Likoni.
On Monday afternoon, police gunned down three men in Mtongwe, Likoni police boss Benjamin Rotich told The Standard yesterday.
He said police had killed “more than 10 people” and were "looking for more".
“We have a list of wanted criminals and so far we have brought down more than 10 people and there are many in court,” said Mr Rotich.
Mr Msagha was reportedly killed by the Wajukuu wa Nyanya gang.
Msagha's widow, Monica, said he was hacked to death when he responded to a distress call by his two children.
Third time
“The gang followed the man into his house where they attacked and killed him. I was informed that it was the third time the man was being attacked by the same gang,” said Rotich.
The bodies of Abdi Dahir Mire, 22, Benny Thomas, 22, and an unidentified person were taken to the Coast Provincial General Hospital mortuary. Mtongwe residents say the three were executed. According to Haki Africa, a Mombasa-based rights group, they were shot dead at around 4pm on Monday as they emerged from a house.
Francis Auma, a programmes officer at Haki Africa, said their bodies were dumped in Mtongwe, Likoni.
“Dahir’s corpse had a gunshot wound in the ribs while Thomas’ body had a wound in the back,” Mr Auma said, adding that the unknown victim had been shot in the face.
A family member who sought anonymity described Mr Dahir as “a notorious boy”.
“I have nothing to say. The boy was notorious but now just allow us to bury him,” said Dahir's relative.
“Three men came running out of the same house and police opened fire,” said a resident.
In Likoni, Mohamed Shame - a boda boda operator - was killed in Bububuu last Tuesday. The 26-year-old's family claimed he was confronted by a policeman who pursued him on a motorcycle.
His mother, Saumu Shame, said he was killed just a few metres from his home.
“When he approached my son, he motioned him to disembark and asked him to identify some people he had been ferrying,” said Ms Shame, quoting her son's colleagues, who fled when the officer opened fire.
A witness told The Standard that after the shooting “someone called Shame’s family to inform them that he had been shot and killed”.
“My son had three bullet wounds, two on his thighs and one in the face. Police say my son was linked to a criminal gang," she said.
Two gangs
Killings in Kisauni were blamed on two gangs - Wakali Wao and Wakali Kwanza.
Joseph Jilo, 23, met his death on March 7, according to relatives. And according to reports, he was shot when he attempted to attack a police officer with a machete.
In addition, Fredrick Munyalo, 16, Dan Mzungu, 17, and Abdi Msomali, 14, were on Monday shot dead by police after they resisted arrest. The three are said to have charged at officers armed with machetes and knives.
Sauti ya Vijana co-ordinator in Likoni, Mgandi Kalinga, applauded the police for the "good job" they were doing to curb insecurity.
Danny Techer, 22, Dahir and their friend Munyalla were shot dead by police on Monday when they resisted arrest and attacked police, according to Rotich.
