Tension high after youth is killed in Majengo slums

Mombasa, Kenya: The volatile Majengo estate in Mvita Constituency, Mombasa County, was Friday under security surveillance after a youth was stabbed to death in the wee hours of the morning.

Police swarmed the area, known to harbour radical youths, to prevent a revenge attack following the killing of Ibrahim Musa, 24, after a confrontation.

Regular police, General Service Unit and Administration Police’s Rapid Response unit, stormed the estate  after the incident.

Locals claimed the assailant is a known criminal who has been in and out of police cells; and vowed to take the law in their hands if he is let off the hook.

However, relatives of the suspect,  Irshad Abdulrahman, 19, demanded that he be taken for mandatory mental check up.

‘’We feel sad for the loss of life. But let police take our brother for a mental check up to determine his suitability to stand trial as we do not think he is of sound mind,’’ Irshad’s elder sister Husna, told The Standard on Saturday.

The suspect looked unperturbed by the occurrence and even posed to have his picture taken by media.

Mombasa County Commissioner Nelson Marwa, said initial investigations revealed that the two had disagreed over sharing of loot.

“This might have been a drug deal gone sour. I warn youths not be be misused by drug barons,’’ the administrator said.

An uncle to the deceased, Mr Ibrahim Juma, said his nephew had been sent to fetch water from a communal well and is said to have met the suspect who demanded unspecified amount of money from him.

“They argued with the suspect over money, which he is alleged to have taken before my nephew was stabbed on the stomach with a knife,’’ Mr Juma said.

Musa was rushed to the nearby Mewa Hospital, but succumbed to his injuries before a doctor could attend to him.

“We saw him (Irshad) outside their home sharpening a knife and managed to retrieve the knife before subduing him. He was, however, not cooperative, forcing us to rain kicks and blows on him before police arrived and arrested him,” said Juma.