Mombasa Governor Abdulswamad Sheriff has revealed that the county is in the process of regulating the sale and possession of machetes to curb gangs, particularly the 'Panga Boys' in the county.
Speaking in Mombasa on Monday, April 8, the governor said that he has already submitted a proposal to the cabinet to amend the Mombasa County Public Nuisance Act, which will see the regulation of the public possession and sale of machetes.
According to the governor, once the law is passed by the Mombasa County Assembly, machete vendors will be required to keep a record of their buyers.
The sheriff noted that if the buyer uses the machete to commit anything sinister, both the vendor and the offender will face the law and stiff financial penalties. Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen, who is on a six-day tour of the coast, backs the proposal, insisting police will enforce the law once enacted.
"Mombasa will not be held hostage by fear, violence, or intimidation. That’s why I have submitted a proposal to the Cabinet to amend the Mombasa County Public Nuisance Act and strictly regulate the public possession and sale of machetes (pangas). Once ratified, we will forward it to the County Assembly for their action," he said.
"This is about protecting our people, reclaiming our neighbourhoods, and restoring peace to every corner of Mombasa," he added.
Furthermore, the governor has warned that anyone caught walking around with a machete in the county will be presumed to be a member of a gang and will be subjected to the same treatment as anyone caught with a firearm.
Additionally, the governor has said that the county government will begin a crackdown on chemists who are illegally selling psychiatric drugs that are being used by youths affiliated with gangs.
"When we find you selling these drugs in the chemists, it will be the same as selling illegal drugs. Because these drugs are only supposed to be in the hospital. The youths are using these drugs to commit crimes because they are easy to find and are cheap," he said.
"Our law will be very clear: a license for you to be able to operate a pharmacy is subject to you not selling these products, and we will be collaborating with the national government to conduct these random checks in these pharmacies," he said.
The Panga Boys gang has long been a thorn in the flesh of Mombasa and Kwale County residents. The gang has long terrorised both residents and business owners in the tourism-rich region.
So far, the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) has announced the arrest of more than 100 suspects associated with the notorious gang.
According to residents, members of the group often disguise themselves with masks to hide their identities, while some do not.
On March 25, the Coast Regional Police Commander Ali Nuno directed the police in the region to arrest the parents of the mostly juvenile suspects arrested during this crackdown.
