Two killed as MRC leader is arrested - Capital FM Kenya

Mombasa Republican Council sympathisers playing a board game in Likoni earlier this year. The group has increasingly become militant and recently vowed to disrupt national examinations in Coast province/ FILE photo

NAIROBI, Kenya, Oct 15 – Mombasa Republican Council (MRC) leader Omar Mwamnuadzi was arrested at dawn on Monday in a police operation that resulted in the death of two people.

Coast Provincial Police Boss Aggrey Adoli said the two were killed when they opened fire in a bid to stop the arrest of Mwamnuadzi.

"My officers found over 30 people at the home armed with bows and arrows and the two were killed after they refused to surrender and started charging at my men," he said.

Adoli said they arrested 13 suspects who will be arraigned in court once they finish their investigation.

"We also recovered an AK 47 and other crude weapons; four police officers were also injured during the operation," he said.

The government has announced a major crackdown on the Mombasa Republican Council leaders and financiers in efforts to contain the gang's criminal activities.

Internal Security Permanent Secretary Mutea Iringo said last week that they were investigating politicians and businessmen in Mombasa who are financing the criminal gang with an aim of taking them to court soon.

The operation came days after Internal Security Minister Katoo ole Metito said they have intelligence that MRC plans to disrupt the Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) and Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) examinations as part of their efforts to remain relevant.

Mwamnuadzi last week went into hiding after the police launched a crackdown on gangs operating in the coast region on October 8.

MRC Spokesman Mohamed Rashid Mraja and Secretary Randu Nzai Ruwa have appeared in a Shanzu Court and charged with similar offences.

Mraja surrendered to police on Monday, while Ruwa was arrested in a Mombasa restaurant on Tuesday. Both were released on a Sh2 million bond and a surety of similar amount.

The duo is still at Shimo-la-Tewa maximum prison after failing to raise the bonds.

• We have our Liberal Courts to thank for this mayhem. They lifted the ban on an illegal outfit thinking that their gesture would somehow turn MRC into a reasonable political outfit agitating for the remedy of historical injustices. How wrong they were. This is a criminal gang least interested in discussing or resolving historical injustices at the Coast. It is simply a separatist group intent on dismembering Kenya and now clearly funded by foreigners who wish to control East African trade through the port of Mombasa and Lamu. This organisation and its funders should be crushed. Period!

• Be careful how you speak because by saying a legally recognized organisation and its funders 'be crushed' may very well be bordering on hate speech. Please be informed that as Kenyans we can/may differ on opinion or views and still be civil to each other. Have a civil day perepepe!