Law enforcement officers based in Mombasa have made a breakthrough after apprehending a person of interest following an operation targeting gangs terrorising residents.

In a statement on Sunday, July 13, 2025, the National Police Service (NPS) confirmed the arrest, revealing that it was made within Likoni sub-county.

An unidentified person was waylaid by the officers from Inuka Police Station during a routine patrol in the Kibundani-Shika Adabu area.

Upon conducting a search, the security officers seized a machete. The person was interest was detained pending processing and arraignment on Monday, July 14, 2025.

Step in restoring security

NPS lauded the operation, indicating that it was a significant step in restoring security in Mombasa, which in recent times has experienced a wave of gang-related criminal activities.

“At the time of arrest, the suspect was found in possession of a machete—a weapon linked to recent violent incidents in Mombasa County,” the statement read in part.

“The arrest marked a crucial step in ongoing efforts to enhance public safety, curb gang-related violence, and restore peace and security in the community,” it added.

At the same time, NPS assured coastal residents that security officers were more determined to bring an end to gang-related activities in the region.

“The National Police Service continues to protect and serve the public.”

Plans to ban carrying machete in public

In early April 2025, Mombasa Governor Abdulswamad Shariff Nassir announced that the county would enforce the Public Nuisance Act, which is set to be amended so that individuals found carrying a machete in public face the same punishment as those caught with an unlicensed firearm.

“You will not have any business walking around the city with a machete. You will be required to use only a machete at home on your farms,” he said.

Nassir raised concerns over violent gang activities, including an incident involving a foreign tourist, which he argued were damaging Mombasa’s image and threatening the tourism sector.

As part of the new directives, the governor announced that the county will also introduce regulations compelling machete sellers to maintain records of buyers, a move aimed at boosting accountability and aiding security operations.

“The county will impose new measures, including the one that dictates when one goes to buy a machete, the seller will be expected to keep records,” he explained.