“The Gun Was Fake!” – DIG Masengeli Issues Statement On Likoni Ferry Gunman
The Deputy Inspector General of police, Gilbert Masengeli, has moved to clear the air regarding the status of a man arrested with a gun by police officers at Likoni ferry.
Speaking to the media in Mombasa on Sunday, April 5, Masengeli revealed that, indeed, the man in question was arrested and was taken to the hospital for mental health checks.
However, the DIG revealed that the results from the doctors revealed that the man was mentally challenged.
Also, Masengeli noted that the gun that the man owned at the time of his arrest was also fake.
“He was indeed arrested and taken to the hospital for a check-up,” he stated.
“The hospital revealed that he was mentally challenged. The gun he was with was also found not to be a real gun.”
Revealing why the man was arrested, even with knowledge that he was mentally unstable, Masengeli stated that the police could not take risks with anyone, whether mentally ill or not.
He said the police remain on high alert to protect the public and also themselves.
“The police remain vigilant to ensure that the security of the public is guaranteed. Even their own security,” he added.
In a video that went viral on Sunday, March 29, a street man at the Likoni ferry was apprehended by police, with officers surrounding him and conducting a search.
Notably, Coast Regional Police Commander Ali Nuno clarified that the video in question is not recent, stating that the incident occurred in October 2025.
Upon searching the man, the police recovered what seemed to be a real pistol tied with a rope around the waist of the man.
Other than the now-revealed fake gun, the man was also in possession of a sling and other things that were not revealed in the video.
The man, dressed in sacks and old clothes, was then taken into custody by the officers.
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Masengeli has since revealed he was taken to the hospital for a medical check-up.
Despite the public knowledge and every revelation that the man in question was living in the streets, officers refused to take any chances with the man, fearing that he might have been involved in criminal activities.
Criminals have, on many occasions, in the country, worked with street boys to enhance their activities in cities and urban areas.
The criminals usually rely on the street boys to store their weapons since authorities are not much concerned with them.
“The Gun Was Fake!” – DIG Masengeli Issues Statement On Likoni Ferry Gunman
