The Coast Regional Police Commander Ali Nuno has authorized police officers to use firearms against armed criminal suspects in Mombasa County due to a surge in violent gang activity. This directive comes amidst intensifying operations targeting gangs like 'panga boys' and follows several high-profile violent incidents.

• Ali Nuno stated he has given police orders to use weapons the moment a thief is found raising a machete against someone.
• The National Crime Research Centre (NCRC) reported in a 2025 survey that Mombasa hosts 73 active gangs.
• High-risk areas include Likoni, Kisauni, Mvita, and parts of Nyali and Tononoka.
• Incidents include a January 2026 assault on a security guard in Tononoka, the January 2025 murder of IEBC official Aisha Abubakar in Kilifi, and a November 2024 machete attack in Bamburi Mwisho that severed a man's hand.

Coast Regional Police Commander Ali Nuno has authorized the use of lethal force against the notorious "Panga Boys" gang, responsible for a surge of violent robberies across the region. He warned criminals to abandon crime or leave the Coast region, emphasizing that officers will use firearms when legally justified.

• Commander Nuno stated that those involved in crime have two options: "desist and reform, or move out of the entire Coast region."
• The enhanced measures target gangs using machetes and crude weapons in Mombasa, Kilifi, and Kwale counties.
• The National Police Service (NPS) confirmed arrests in incidents, including two suspects in Mombasa and three suspects in Mtwapa, Kilifi County, recovering weapons and stolen items like 49 mobile phones.