Journalist injured in attack by machete-wielding gang terrorising Kwale residents
The spate of attacks has heightened concerns over insecurity in the area, with residents calling on authorities to take swift action before the situation worsens.
A journalist was among the victims attacked by machete-wielding gangs in Kwale County, commonly known as panga boys, in broad daylight on Saturday.
The gang, consisting of more than 10 individuals, terrorised residents, robbing them and causing chaos in Msambweni, Diani, and Ukunda.
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Brivian Simiyu, a journalist with Msenangu FM, recounted his harrowing experience, stating that he was ambushed by a group of six young men in Diani. He was coming from Msambweni as he went about his daily duties.
"I saw them from a distance and felt uneasy, but I told myself they might not be the ones attacking people in the area. Even if they were, I did not expect them to strike in broad daylight. When we got closer, one of them, a tall man leading the group, suddenly drew a machete. I tried to run, but I fell. As I struggled to get up, he slashed my ear," Simiyu narrated.
He added that while he resisted, the gang continued frisking him.
"I had a bag on my left side and a container on the right. As they searched me and I screamed, one of them found my phone. The attack happened on a busy roadside, with people living nearby, but no one came to my aid. They just watched from a distance," he said.
Simiyu explained that the increasing number of such attacks has left residents living in fear.
Residents have also raised concerns, noting that security forces remain silent despite repeated complaints.
"We have reported these incidents multiple times, but nothing is being done. These gangs are growing bolder by the day," said Jackson Otieno, a resident of Ukunda.
Another resident, Fatuma Ali from Diani, lamented the lack of action from authorities.
"People are being attacked even in broad daylight yet the police are nowhere to be seen. We are left to fend for ourselves."
The spate of attacks has heightened concerns over insecurity in the area, with residents calling on authorities to take swift action before the situation worsens.
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