6 Suspects Arrested During Crackdown on Violent Coast Gangs

Detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) have arrested six suspects during a crackdown on criminal gangs in Mombasa, Kilifi, and Kwale counties.

In a statement on Friday, February 20, DCI said the suspects are linked to violent attacks commonly associated with the panga boys gang.

“Safety is steadily being reinforced across Kenya’s Coast following a coordinated crackdown by security agencies in Mombasa, Kilifi, and Kwale targeting violent criminal gangs that have unsettled communities in recent weeks.

“Acting on actionable intelligence, detectives executed targeted operations against profiled gang members linked to violent attacks commonly associated with the so-called panga boys,” DCI stated.

The operation resulted in the arrest of Nicholas Mumba Chisiwa, Haniff Iqbal Sharbaz, Salim Mafuko Hamis, Ali Musa Mwachimwandi, Sadik Hamis Mwanzembe, and Samuel Gitonga.

The DCI detectives also recovered assorted crude weapons and narcotic substances during the operation.

“The recoveries corroborate prior intelligence assessments linking the suspects and their networks to both violent intimidation and drug-related activities. The seizure of weapons alongside narcotics highlights the compound threat posed by these organized criminal elements to public order and community safety,” said the DCI.

The six suspected gang members are in custody, undergoing processing pending arraignment in court.

Further, DCI said detectives are continuing with the operation to bring out all gang members who have been terrorizing the coast region in recent weeks.

“Security agencies maintain heightened vigilance and continue to pursue remaining members and facilitators of these criminal cells to ensure sustained security across the Coast region,” the investigative agency added.

The operation comes weeks after detectives nabbed four members of the Panga Boys gang 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.

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.