MOMBASA, Kenya — One person sustained a gunshot wound after a bodyguard attached to Mombasa Governor Abdullswamad Sheriff Nassir allegedly opened fire during a confrontation with youths chanting “Wantam” slogans in Changamwe.
The incident occurred on Friday, August 21, during a public engagement involving the governor, according to Mombasa County Police Commander Stella Cherono.
Cherono said the youths interrupted the governor’s address with “Wantam” chants, after which the situation escalated into a confrontation.
“They chanted ‘Wantam,’ and as the Governor wanted to address them, they became violent. That is where the fracas started,” Cherono said.
Police said the governor’s security detail responded as the confrontation intensified. One person was subsequently injured by a gunshot.
Cherono said the National Police Service does not condone violence and confirmed that investigations had been launched to establish what happened.
Eyewitness gives account
An eyewitness alleged that the bodyguard drew his firearm during the confrontation and that the bullet struck the victim in the leg after other people intervened.
“The bodyguard drew his weapon, but I tried to tell him to let the youth be. The bullet was to hit the victim on his upper body, but hit him on his leg after the people confronted him,” the eyewitness said.
Two other people were also injured during the confrontation and were taken to Coast General Teaching and Referral Hospital for treatment.
The circumstances surrounding the shooting, including what prompted the use of the firearm and whether it was justified, remain under investigation.
Calls for IPOA probe
The incident has triggered calls for an independent investigation into the conduct of the governor’s security detail.
Residents and other observers condemned what they described as excessive use of force, particularly the deployment of firearms during political or public engagements.
They called on the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) to investigate the shooting and urged authorities to secure potential evidence and protect eyewitnesses.
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The injured victims have also called for the Mombasa County Government to assist with their medical expenses.
Police have not indicated whether the bodyguard has been arrested or whether any firearm has been seized as part of the investigation.
Incident follows Nairobi bodyguard shooting case
The Mombasa shooting comes about a month after another incident involving a security officer attached to a senior government official.
Rashid Charo, a bodyguard attached to Youth Affairs Principal Secretary Fikirini Jacobs, was accused of fatally shooting youth mobiliser Cecil Ouma during an event in Nairobi.
Charo was arrested and charged in court, where he denied the allegations. His lawyers argued that he had acted in self-defence, and he was released on a KSh20,000 cash bond.
The latest Mombasa incident is likely to renew scrutiny of the use of firearms by security personnel attached to public officials, particularly during politically charged public gatherings.
The allegations against the governor’s bodyguard have not been tested in court, and investigations are ongoing.
