The deceased Omar Rashid Mzerera / BRIAN OTIENO

Likoni MP Mishi Mboko, Mombasa governor Abdulswamad Nassir and county commissioner Mohamed Nur at the CGTRH on Monday / BRIAN OTIENO

Mombasa governor Abdulswamad Nassir [2nd L], county commissioner Mohamed Nur and county police commander Stella Jerono at the CGTRH on Monday / BRIAN OTIENO

Police in Mombasa are pursuing crucial leads following a deadly dawn attack at a county cess collection point in Likoni, where armed attackers killed a county inspectorate officer and escaped with an AK-47 rifle.

Omar Rashid Mzerera, who was in his mid-thirties, was shot dead when a group of machete-wielding attackers stormed the facility at about 3.40 am on Monday.

Mombasa County Commissioner Mohamed Nur said the attackers did not take any other property, raising questions about the motive behind the raid.

Governor Abdulswamad Nassir also questioned why the attackers targeted a facility where payments are made digitally and left computers, mobile phones and personal wallets untouched.

“We are asking the police to get to the bottom of it because nothing was stolen. There were computers that were not touched. Mobile phones were not taken. Even individual wallets were not taken,” Nassir said.

“The only thing that was taken was a firearm. However, that is not for me to say.”

According to a police signal from Inuka Police Station, two Administration Police officers were manning the cess point alongside county inspectorate officers when the attackers struck.

The officers reportedly fired into the air in an attempt to disperse the gang but were overpowered during the confrontation.

The police signal states that the attackers snatched an AK-47 rifle from an officer identified as APC Wilfred Amin, who sustained deep cuts to his hand and a gunshot wound to his left thigh.

Rashid was shot in the back, with the bullet exiting through his chest, according to the report.

Another county inspectorate officer, Ali Kibuyi, sustained deep cuts to his head and right thigh, while Bahiya Hassan escaped without injuries.

The injured officers were taken to Diani Beach Hospital before being transferred to Coast General Teaching and Referral Hospital for further treatment. The deceased's body was taken to the hospital mortuary pending burial arrangements.

Nassir, who visited the injured officers, said they were in stable condition and pledged support for them and the family of the deceased.

“For the one who has passed away, we will sit with the family. For the one who is injured we will ensure that he gets every relevant treatment. This includes the police officers as well, so that they all can get back to work as soon as their health allows them,” he said.

Nur said the CCTV camera installed at the container serving as the cess point office was not working. Investigators were seeking footage from nearby locations that might have captured the incident.

He urged residents to share any information that could help investigators identify those responsible.

“People say the gang was about 40 people, while others say they were about 20. Whatever the case, these people must have passed through somewhere,” he said.

The commissioner said the missing firearm remained a priority for investigators and assured the public that efforts were underway to make arrests.

“A government rifle cannot go that way. And we value human life and it will not go in vain,” Nur said.

He also sought to reassure residents and visitors that the incident should not cause panic, describing it as an isolated case.

“Mombasa remains safe,” he said.

Likoni MP Mishi Mboko called on security agencies to strengthen their response to insecurity, saying the attack required a thorough investigation.

She noted that the cess point did not hold cash because payments were made digitally, questioning why the attackers took only the firearm.

“If there was cash, we would say maybe they were targeting the cash. But now there is no cash there and it is well known. They also did not take away anything else apart from the rifle,” she said.

Mboko said the killing had revived painful memories of past security incidents in Likoni and urged authorities to address the matter ahead of the 2027 General Election.

She also warned that insecurity could undermine development projects planned for the area, including the Dongo Kundu Special Economic Zone and the Mombasa Gateway Bridge.

Nominated Senator Miraj Abdillahi raised concerns about street lighting around the cess point, saying she had previously questioned the state of lighting in the area.

Human rights activist Francis Auma urged security agencies to strengthen intelligence gathering as the country prepares for the 2027 polls. He also cautioned against using the incident to target residents unfairly.

Rashid is expected to be buried in the Mbungoni area of Nyali Sub-County in accordance with Islamic rites.