Armed Gang Kills Officer, Steals AK-47 in Attack on Mombasa County Checkpoint

One officer has died, and a police firearm stolen after a gang armed with crude weapons attacked officers manning a county government access barrier in Likoni, Mombasa.

The incident reportedly happened in the early hours of Monday morning.

Mombasa County Police Commander Stella Jerono confirmed the attack, explaining that officers from both the county government's enforcement unit and the administrative police service were targeted.

"The officers who are here were officers from the county government of Mombasa enforcement and two police officers from the administrative police service. And they were attacked by a number of people whose aim or reason for attack is not known," she said.

According to a police report filed at Inuka Police Station, the incident occurred at around 3:40am along Barabara ya Mchanga, roughly three kilometres west of the station, at a checkpoint used for cess collection in Likoni Sub-County.

A duty officer on patrol in the area heard gunshots coming from the checkpoint and rushed to the scene with colleagues.

They found Corporal George Odera and fellow officer Wilfred Amin, who had been manning the checkpoint alongside a team from Mombasa County's enforcement unit, under attack from an unknown number of armed assailants.

The officers reportedly fired several rounds into the air in an attempt to scare off the attackers, but were quickly overwhelmed.

In the ensuing struggle, the gang snatched a rifle from Officer Amin after inflicting deep cuts to his hand and shooting him in the left thigh.

The stolen weapon, an AK-47 rifle loaded with 30 rounds of ammunition, remains missing.

The attack left enforcement officer Omari Mzerera dead, having sustained a gunshot wound that entered from the back and exited through the chest.

He was confirmed dead at the scene by a doctor before his body was moved to Coast General Morgue.

Three other officers were injured in the attack.

Enforcement officer Ali Kibuyi Buyi sustained deep cuts to the head and right thigh, while Wilfred Amin suffered both cuts to his hand and a gunshot wound to his left thigh.

A fourth officer, Bahiya Hassan, escaped the attack without injury.

The injured officers were rushed to Dian Beach Hospital for treatment.

The Sub-County Police Commander for Likoni, the Deputy Area Police Commander, the DCIO and the OCS of Inuka Police Station later visited the scene.

Scene of crime personnel processed and documented the area, with the case now being handled by DCI Likoni.

Confirming the loss of the firearm, Jerono said investigations were underway to recover it.

"During the attack also, we have had loss of one of our firearms that we suspect was taken by the criminals, and we are also looking into that to ensure that we recover the firearm," she said.

Detectives have launched investigations to identify and arrest those behind the attack.

"We want to ensure that we get to arrest the criminals and ensure that they are brought to book," Jerono said.

She appealed to members of the public for any information that could assist the investigation.

"Give us as much information as you get, so that we use it in our investigation," she said, assuring residents that "these people are going to be arrested the soonest."