Editor's Review

Authorities revealed that the four were arrested from their hideout in Mbuwani village, Kwale County.

Four members of the notorious ‘Panga Boys’ gang have been arrested following a violent attack in Kwale County.

In a statement issued by the National Police Service (NPS) on Friday, February 6, authorities revealed that the four were arrested from their hideout in Mbuwani village, Kwale County.

Their arrest came after a robbery with violence incident reported on the night of January 22, 2026, in which a resident of the village was attacked by the four assailants, who were armed with pangas.

They robbed him of his mobile phone and inflicted serious injuries by cutting him on the head and hand before fleeing the scene.

File image of a crime scene

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During the arrest, police recovered four pangas, believed to have been used in the attack, as well as six suspected stolen mobile phones.

The suspects were subsequently escorted to Diani Police Station, where they are being processed pending further investigation and arraignment.

Their arrest comes after intensified efforts and security operations by the authorities to dismantle criminal gangs and curb violent crimes in the coastal area.

It follows days after detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) arrested a robbery with violence suspect who was captured on CCTV attacking a watchman in Mombasa.

In an update on Thursday, January 29, DCI said the suspect was arrested by a team of detectives from the Mombasa DCI Regional Headquarters, working alongside officers from DCI Urban and Tononoka Police Station.

In the CCTV footage, the suspect, armed with a panga alongside an accomplice, launched a vicious assault on the unsuspecting watchman before making off with his mobile phone.

After the incident, police commenced an operation, leading to the suspect being snuffed out of his hiding place in a guest house in Bondeni.

After the arrest, police found a blood-stained panga, believed to have been used in the assault, as well as assorted mobile phones and two knives.

As crime ravages the Coast region, leaders such as Nyali MP Mohammed Ali have urged the Inspector General of Police, Douglas Kanja, to strengthen security measures in response to increased robbery with violence incidents in Mombasa, Kwale, and Kilifi counties.