This archive report was first published on 7 August 2019.
On Monday night, a wave of terror swept through Mombasa's Kisauni area as a gang of nearly 30 knife-wielding attackers roamed freely for three hours, leaving a trail of destruction and injured residents in their wake.
According to eyewitnesses, the attackers, who were on foot or riding motorcycles and trucks, targeted several areas, including Lake View, Malindi Stores, and Bamburi Mwisho, before sweeping across the main highway to Malindi.
The attacks, which started around 8pm, caught the State's security agencies by surprise, with police taking nearly three hours to respond. By the time they arrived, the attackers had already left the scene.
Coast Regional Coordinator John Elung'ata attributed the violence to a retaliatory attack for the Sunday arrest of six drug barons, who were accused of trafficking drugs worth Sh12 million. He also linked the attacks to the perennial land problem in the sprawling Kisauni's slums and 2022 succession politics.
Police announced the arrest of four suspects linked to the violence and claimed to be pursuing six others. However, residents reported that tens of attackers were involved in the violence.
Residents, including Sumeya Karianto, whose mother was injured in the attacks, demanded answers over the failure by intelligence agencies to predict the attack and enable police to intervene in time.
Coast General Hospital nursing officer Antony Mogaka said they had received 11 victims, including a 19-year-old woman, with seven being treated and discharged, while four were still under the doctors' watch.
Human rights group Haki Africa termed the attacks a breakdown of law and an indictment of the intelligence community, calling on locals to help police apprehend the attackers.
