2 men were on Thursday, April 23, killed by police officers following a dramatic shoot-out that ensued during the dusk-to-dawn curfew, in Mombasa.
The two individuals were suspected to be part of a gang alleged to have been terrorizing residents of the county during the curfew.
The incident was confirmed by Nyali OCPD Daniel Masamba who told reporters that the alleged thugs had left the Majengo area at around 1 a.m. to commit various crimes, but encountered police officers at the Nyali Bridge.
A shoot-out ensued as the men, who were riding on a motorbike, attempted to get away from the officers.
Weapons which lay next to their lifeless bodies included a rifle and a machete (panga).
Reported cases of thugs capitalizing on the curfew to undertake various crimes, including robberies, have been on the rise in recent weeks as the country responds to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Several businesses have been broken into, with Mombasa listed among the most affected counties.
On Tuesday, April 21, for instance, a video surfaced of a young man in full police uniform being interrogated at a police station in the coastal city.
He admitted to being part of a gang of six members, all with Administration Police uniforms, that has been harassing and extorting Mombasa residents during the curfew.
"We are six, the Probox driver gave me the uniform. I don't have my phone here, I left it in the Probox.
"The gang tells me to arrest someone then they rob them. I tell the person to stop, I first start by greeting them then the others come asking for the victim's ID, the person who asks for an ID then steals and goes.
"I am from Mtwapa, I'm just here to visit my girlfriend. I changed to these clothes in the Probox and my clothes are still there. The number plate of the pro box is KCM 147K, white in colour.
"The Probox always takes me home in the morning and belongs to the driver, we don't rent it. I left my National ID in my clothes," he stated.
Contacted by Kenyans.co.ke on April 21, however, Mombasa Central OCPD Eliud Arumba refused to comment on the specific case.
Watch a report on the shoot-out in Mombasa below:
