This archive report was first published on 29 June 2019.
On June 29, 2019, a suspected member of the Wakalikwanza gang was killed in Likoni, Mombasa, after a mob cornered him and his accomplices.
According to eyewitnesses, the three gang members had earlier attacked and robbed a woman at Mwananzia in Likoni at around 6am. The suspects allegedly used pangas in the attack.
Residents, backed by boda boda riders, cornered the gang members and recovered two pangas at the scene. The suspects attempted to escape into a nearby quarry, which was reportedly their hideout.
However, the boda boda riders mobilized their colleagues, who armed themselves with crude weapons and stones. The gang members were flushed out of the quarry, but they came out wielding pangas.
A boda boda rider, who identified himself only as Hassan, said the suspect became aggressive when his accomplices escaped, prompting the mob to stone him.
"He had a sharp panga and he thought the mob would fear. He was stoned to death," Hassan said.
Local elder Fatuma Nuru confirmed that the deceased, identified as Biko, was part of the Wakalikwanza gang. She stated that the gang members had attacked a boda boda rider on Thursday afternoon, leaving him with panga cuts on the head.
"He is known in the area. He is a young boy who is supposed to be in school," Nuru said.
Police arrived several hours after the incident and took the body to Manyatta Hospital, where it was later transferred to the Coast General Hospital morgue.
