There was panic at the Mariakani Barracks in Kilifi County after a military guard shot and killed a naked man who breached the facility.
The man was mistaken to be a thief with an unknown mission at the security facility when the incident happened Friday morning.
The naked man was shot dead at the entrance of Mariakani Barracks after he reportedly failed to heed a warning by a soldier manning the gate.
A Sergeant from the Military Police said the deceased was spotted approaching the gate box and the guard challenged him to stop by firing one round in the air as a warning.
However, the man still approached, forcing the soldier to shoot him, killing him on the spot.
“He was shot in the neck and died on the spot,” police who visited the scene said.
The body was later positively identified by the mother as that of Juma Kitsao Kombe, a local aged 25.
The motive for going to the Kenya Army’s 77 Artillery Battalion was not immediately established but security sources said the deceased was suspected to be behind some reported cases of robbery, murder, and drug trafficking in the area.
He has been arrested in the past and questioned over the claims, police said.
Other locals said some villagers believe in witchcraft and most likely a witch doctor wrongly advised him that if he approaches the barracks gate while naked, and approach using the back, the guard will fall asleep and will not be able to see him and therefore, he could easily run away with their weapons.
Police said they are investigating the case.
Detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) who visited the scene recovered two spent cartridges which will be subjected to ballistic analysis.
The body was transferred to the Coast General Hospital mortuary awaiting postmortem.
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