MOMBAS, Kenya—A Mombasa County enforcement officer has been shot dead and two other officers injured after an armed gang attacked a cess collection checkpoint in Likoni, escaping with an AK-47 rifle and 30 rounds of ammunition.
The attack occurred at about 3.40am on Monday along Barabara ya Mchanga, where police officers and county enforcement personnel were manning the checkpoint.
Mombasa County Police Commander Stella Jerono confirmed the incident, according to the initial report.
A police report filed at Inuka Police Station indicates that officers on patrol rushed to the scene after hearing gunshots from the checkpoint area.
They found the officers had been attacked by an unknown number of men armed with crude weapons. Attempts to disperse the gang by firing several rounds into the air were unsuccessful, with the attackers reportedly overpowering the officers during the confrontation.
The assailants seized an AK-47 rifle belonging to Police Constable Wilfred Amin, who sustained deep cuts to his hand and a gunshot wound to his left thigh. The firearm, serial number 59011484, was reportedly taken with 30 rounds of ammunition.
County enforcement officer Ali Kibuyi Buyi also sustained deep cuts to his head and right thigh, while Omari Mzerera suffered a gunshot wound to the back that exited through his chest.
Mzerera was pronounced dead by a doctor, and his body was moved to the Coast General morgue. Amin and Buyi were rushed to Diani Beach Hospital for treatment, while another county enforcement officer, Bahiya Hassan, escaped unhurt.
Senior security officers, including the Likoni Sub-County Police Commander, the Deputy Assistant Police Commander, the Directorate of Criminal Investigations officer and the Inuka police station boss, visited the scene as crime scene personnel processed and documented evidence.
The DCI office in Likoni has taken up the case as investigations continue to identify and apprehend the attackers, who remain at large.
Mzerera was also associated with New Talents Football Academy, where he served as a team manager and coach. An announcement shared by the academy said he died after being attacked by criminals in Likoni and indicated that his burial would take place on Monday at Mgongeni, Bombolulu, under Islamic rituals.
