Customers enjoying lunch at a city restaurant in Mombasa turned into persons of interest after a man mysteriously died moments after placing his order.
Police officers who rushed to the business premises along Digo road on Thursday, November 10, found a few customers in the otherwise busy eatery after the majority fled the scene.
Witnesses told the officers that the client, a middle-aged man, lost consciousness as he waited for his food.
"He walked in alone and ordered food from the menu and before he could be served, he suddenly collapsed, sending everyone into a frenzy," one eyewitness stated.
A second client claimed the deceased succumbed to hunger. Officers questioned the customers who were left in the hotel to rule out any foul play.
In addition, the restaurant's staff who were on duty recorded statements with the police. The restaurant was also closed down for the rest of the day.
Detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigation (DCI) homicide unit are currently processing the scene. The body of the victim was ferried to the Coast Provincial Teaching and Referral Morgue.
Government pathologists will conduct a postmortem on the body and submit a conclusive report on the likely cause of death to the investigative authorities.
A crowd that had milled around the scene insisted that the man was starving and called on the government to address the spiking cost of food, especially maize flour.
Members of the public are cautioned to stay clear of crime scenes as they may easily become suspects in grievous cases.
In October 2021, DCI Forensic Expert Arphaxad Owange explained that if investigators find evidence such as personal documents and digital footprints could link them to the crime.
Owange further stated that residents may be exposing themselves to potential danger as most crime scenes are often active.
