MOMBASA, Kenya — Coast Regional Police Commander Ali Nuno has issued a tough directive authorising officers to use firearms against machete-wielding criminals terrorising residents across the coastal counties, saying police will not hesitate to shoot suspects when the law allows.
Nuno said the surge in violent robberies and attacks by gangs armed with pangas and other crude weapons has left communities living in fear in Mombasa, Kilifi and Kwale counties.
“All those men and ladies involved in crime for one reason or another, your days are numbered,” he said, offering suspected gang members “two options”: desist and reform or leave the entire Coast region.
“Where we are justified to use our firearms, we will not hesitate.”
The order comes amid heightened concern over a spate of incidents in which machete-wielding youths have carried out violent robberies, assaults and intimidation.
CCTV footage circulating on social media has shown attackers with pangas storming shops, markets and streets before fleeing with mobile phones and valuables.
Nuno underscored that officers have the legal right to protect themselves and civilians when faced with immediate danger from armed suspects.
“If I find you carrying a machete intending to attack someone, I’ll shoot you,” he said.
In recent operations, police in Kwale County apprehended several suspected members of the notorious Panga Boys gang after a violent robbery in Mbuwani Village, recovering pangas and stolen mobile phones.
The intensification of patrols and security sweeps has accompanied the directive to use force where justified.
Nuno’s directive echoes earlier security alerts in the region, where authorities have been battling juvenile gangs, robberies and organised criminal networks.
Past initiatives included warnings to parents of gang members and coordinated security sweeps aimed at restoring public confidence.
While police maintain the use of firearms will adhere to legal thresholds for justifiable force, the order has heightened public attention on police methods and the broader fight against gang violence at the Coast.
There are also concerns of potential extra-judicial killings.
