An angry mob killed a Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) officer in Mombasa after he allegedly threatened a boda boda rider with a gun for failing to pay for his ride.
The incident unfolded on Friday when boda boda rider Antony Otieno requested payment after transporting the deceased from Likoni Primary Vyemani Grounds. According to a police report, a scuffle broke out when the rider asked for his fare. The deceased then opened his bag, pulled out a gun, and fired into the air in an attempt to intimidate the rider.
“Upon arrival, the deceased alighted from the boda boda and made several phone calls,” the report stated. “The boda boda rider then demanded payment for the trip, but the deceased pulled out a gun from his small bag, cocked it, and fired into the air to scare the rider.”
As the deceased attempted to flee the scene on the rider’s motorbike, the rider managed to disarm him. Witnesses, enraged by the incident, then attacked the officer, stoning him to death.
“The deceased then jumped on the motorcycle in an attempt to flee, but the boda boda rider pulled him to the ground. A struggle ensued during which the deceased fired several shots, but the boda boda rider managed to snatch the gun,” the report added. “Inhabitants of the area then gathered and began pelting the deceased with stones, leading to his death.”
Before the mob overpowered him, the officer fired several shots into the air, and injured two people, Claudia Mwashikaji and Mary Trizer, who were hit by stray bullets during the chaos. The rider also suffered a bite to the nose from the deceased. The victims were treated at Likoni Sub-County Hospital.
Officers from Inuka Police Station who responded to the scene recovered a rifle, 12 rounds of ammunition, a motorcycle, a mobile phone, and four spent cartridges, all of which have been kept as exhibits. The body of the deceased was taken to Coast General Mortuary, awaiting post-mortem examination.
