This archive report was first published on 12 July 2020.
On Friday night, a police officer in Mombasa was brutally attacked by an irate mob, leaving him fighting for his life.
According to reports, the officer, Gerald Sumba, 31, had attempted to arrest several individuals for not wearing face masks in Mombasa's Old Town when the mob descended upon him, delivering kicks and blows.
Witnesses claim that Sumba was in plainclothes at the time, leading area residents to assume he was a civilian soliciting bribes.
The incident occurred in Kibokoni, Mombasa County, and Sumba was rushed to the Coast General Teaching and Referral Hospital, where he remains hospitalized.
Police officers from the Central Police Station visited the scene and discovered that Sumba was indeed a police officer attached to the Tononoka Police Station, who was working at the Coast General Hospital.
The Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) has condemned the attack, stating that such lawless actions can foster anarchy and undermine established order in society.
Police have launched an investigation into the matter and are also seeking to apprehend another individual who was with Sumba during the incident.
