On May 30, 2020, a police raid in Kibundani, near Ukunda, Kwale County, resulted in the deaths of two children and left a pregnant woman critically injured.
According to eyewitnesses, the police operation started at 10pm and ended at around 2am. The raid targeted Mohamed Rahma Mapenzi, alias Spanya, a 41-year-old man suspected of being a wanted terrorist.
Mapenzi's wife, Mwanahalima Mwachili, who was eight months pregnant, was shot in the abdomen and leg and is now admitted to Msambweni Referral Hospital in critical condition. She lost the unborn baby after a six-hour operation to save her life.
Mapenzi's four children, including 22-year-old Mohammed Rahma, six-year-old Halfan Mapenzi, three-year-old Alhajj Mapenzi, and 12-year-old Issa Mapenzi, were also injured in the raid. Halfan is nursing gunshot wounds after being shot in the head and hands, while Rahma was shot in the hand.
Mapenzi's cousin, Said Abdallah Chitswa, said police first stormed his house and beat him and his wife, demanding that they surrender a gun. Chitswa was later admitted to Msambweni Hospital under police guard.
Msambweni police boss Nehemia Bittok regretted the loss of life but claimed the suspect used the children as human shields after tossing a grenade at police officers who had gone to his house to arrest him.
Haki Africa, a Mombasa-based human rights group, described the killings as heartbreaking and said it had reported the matter to the Independent Police Oversight Authority for investigation.
