Two people killed in Watamu mob violence at hospital
FILE IMAGE OF A POLICE LINE
The death toll from the violent mob unrest in Garoda, Watamu, within Kilifi County rose to two on Friday, police said.
This was after one of the victims who had been shot and wounded succumbed in hospital following Thursday’s chaos.
Police disclosed that two civilians were hit by bullets during efforts to contain the riotous crowd that had attacked a local hospital and clashed with officers.
One of the victims, Kazungu Karisa Jefwa, 22, sustained a gunshot wound to the chest and died upon arrival at Malindi Sub-County Hospital.
The second victim, a 46-year-old boda boda rider, suffered a gunshot injury to the right thigh and remains admitted at the same facility.
The latest deaths come on the heels of the lynching of 18-year-old Alfred Amani, who was killed by a mob after being cornered in a nearby forest during the unrest.
Police also confirmed the arrest of two suspects in connection with the earlier assault that triggered the violence.
The unrest, which began as a family disagreement over a semi-permanent house, spiraled into widespread violence involving more than 200 youths.
The mob stormed a health facility in Watamu, vandalized property, and set parts of the building ablaze.
The group wanted to lynch a suspect who was being attended at the facility.
The disagreement reportedly led to the structure being demolished before the suspect fled to Gede, issuing threats of retaliation.
He later returned with a group on four motorcycles, triggering a violent confrontation. Members of the public responded to distress calls, forcing the attackers to flee and abandon two pangas at the scene.
Tensions escalated further when a suspect sought treatment at a local health facility. A mob of more than 200 youths descended on the hospital, demanding he be handed over.
Police officers responding to the incident were also injured.
Despite the destruction, officers managed to rescue patients from the hospital, with only three windows reported burned.
Authorities confirmed that officers discharged live ammunition in an attempt to disperse the violent crowd.
The bodies of the two were moved to the Malindi Sub-County Hospital mortuary, where they await postmortem examinations.
The incident has once again brought into sharp focus the persistent challenge of mob justice in parts of the country, as well as the risks faced by both civilians and law enforcement officers during such volatile confrontations.