The recent spate of attacks witnessed in some parts of Kisauni, Likoni, and Nyali in Mombasa county has now caught the attention of senior law enforcement agencies in the country.
In efforts to restore sanity ahead of the August 9 general election, a special squad of elite servicemen and women has been deployed across the county to flush out members of juvenile criminal gangs and their financiers.
Coast region police Commander Titus Karuri said that the special elite squad will work closely with police officers stationed in Mombasa to flush out and eliminate members of several outlawed groups that have been terrorizing Mombasa residents.
The move comes amidst rising concerns of members of outlawed criminal gangs regrouping ahead of the August polls.
Squad asked to shoot criminals
Karuri has further revealed that armed police officers will not hesitate to shoot at armed criminals, suspected of robbing or terrorizing Mombasa residents.
“If an armed officer on duty witnesses a suspect violently robbing a resident, he or she is armed by the government. He or she will shoot you on the spot without any negotiations,” he said.
For a long time residents in some areas within Nyali, Kisauni, and even Likoni have been experiencing sleepless nights as a result of the frequent attacks.
Members of the juvenile gangs, in broad daylight, have been witnessed attacking their victims using tasers, machetes, and other crude weapons.
The police boss further revealed that politicians fanning chaos and using the criminal gangs during the electioneering period are also on the police radar.
“We are not only targeting the local criminal gangs, but we are also profiling politicians behind these gangs and their financiers. We shall not leave any stone unturned,” he said.
