This archive report was first published on 20 August 2019.
August 20, 2019 - In a move aimed at intensifying the war against drugs in the Coast region, top security bosses have been reshuffled.
Coast Regional Police Boss Marcus Ocholla has been redeployed to Rift Valley, while his Mombasa counterpart, Johnstone Ipara, has been moved to Uasin Gishu County.
Mombasa County Commissioner Evans Achoki will also be exiting the region and is expected to hand over to his successor, Gilbert Kitio, on Wednesday.
The reshuffle comes after a series of violent incidents, including a machete attack in Bamburi, Kisauni constituency, on August 6, which left 13 people nursing serious injuries.
Following the attack, Interior Cabinet Secretary Dr. Fred Matiang'i visited the region and declared a renewed push to rid the area of illicit drugs and dealers.
As part of the crackdown, police conducted random raids, yielding an assortment of illegal drugs, and targeted influential individuals, including Mombasa Tycoon Ali Punjani and Likoni MCA Ahmed Salama.
However, a day into the probe, police failed to pin the two individuals with admissible evidence to tie them to the drug menace.
Coast Region Police Commander Marcus Ocholla is headed to western Kenya and will be succeeded by Rashid Yakubu, while Mombasa County Police boss Johnstone Ipara will hand over his office to Augustine Inthubi as he packs his bags to Uasin Gishu County.
Mombasa County Commissioner Evans Achoki will be handing over to Gilbert Kitio from Marsabit County after serving for 4 years.
Additionally, 20 Assistant County Commissioners across the Coast Region have been moved to Western, Rift Valley, Eastern, Nyanza, and Central regions.
