Two men shot and killed in Diani tourist resort in fresh escalation of gun violence

By Tobias Chanji

Kwale, Kenya: Two men were shot and killed in the Diani tourist resort in a fresh escalation of gun violence on Saturday evening.

Police and human rights groups have conflicting interpretations of the Saturday evening gun attack at Harmony area in Diani although both agree on the possibility of terror links in the killings.

While police suggest one or both of the victims could have been victim[s] of infighting within an Al Qaida linked cell in the area,  Haki Africa human rights agency claims that the deceased were both terror suspects.

Independent accounts from neighbours and relatives told the Standard that the two: Omar Maarifa, a landlord and his new tenant Sudi Omar Mwakuona were chewing ‘miraa’ or khat twigs outside a house at Harmony area, Diani town when they were accosted by the gunmen.

“I had just finished eating and went outside for some few minutes at around 8.40pm. I came back leaving the two who were chewing miraa outside. I then heard gunshots a minute later,” said Joseph Mativo a neighbor.

Maarifa was a Landlord in Likoni, Mombasa and he worked at the Mombasa Municipality inspectorate department while Mwakuona worked for a security firm in Vipingo in Kilifi according to his in-law, Sauda Mghoyi.

After confirming Satuday's killings Msambweni Joseph Ominja said the deceased were attacked by three armed gunmen.  

“We suspect that the group is fighting amongst itself. It raises eye brows when someone just moves to a new place and is followed there. One of the deceased who is related to Mwachala might have heard some crucial information that he (Mwachala) thought might leak,” said the OCPD.