An elderly man was shot dead by a lone masked gunman who arrived at his home on a motorcycle in Ganze, Kilifi County, in a late-night attack that has raised fresh concerns over insecurity in the country.
The incident occurred on Tuesday at around 9:30pm in Viambini Village, where 70-year-old Malingi Kiwayi Weru Kauma was attacked at his residence.
According to a police report, the assailant arrived at the homestead on an unidentified motorcycle while armed with a pistol.
The masked attacker reportedly first asked one of the deceased’s relatives to identify Kauma before pointing the firearm at him and shooting him once in the mouth.
The bullet reportedly passed through the oral cavity and exited through the right side of his neck.
The gunman immediately fled the scene on the motorcycle after the shooting, disappearing into the darkness.
Police officers who visited the scene were unable to recover the spent cartridge, citing poor visibility caused by darkness.
Detectives are expected to return to the scene for a more detailed examination and to search for additional evidence.
Kauma’s body was later moved to the Kilifi County Referral Hospital Mortuary, where it is being preserved pending a postmortem examination.
Preliminary investigations indicate that the deceased was involved in land dealings in Ganze and Kauma Sub-counties.
However, police have not established the motive for the killing.
Investigators are now pursuing leads to identify the masked gunman, establish his motive and determine whether the killing was connected to the victim’s business activities.
