DIG Masengeli Gives Fresh Details on Man Allegedly Found With Gun at Likoni Ferry

Deputy Inspector General of Police Gilbert Masengeli has now provided fresh and clearer details about the man who was reportedly arrested while carrying what appeared to be a gun at the Likoni Ferry in Mombasa.

Speaking to journalists in Mombasa on Sunday, April 5, Masengeli confirmed that the man was indeed arrested by police officers after raising security concerns at the busy ferry crossing.

He explained that after the arrest, the suspect was taken to hospital so that doctors could carry out a mental health assessment and establish his condition.

According to the DIG, the medical examination later showed that the man was mentally challenged, helping police better understand the situation surrounding the incident.

Masengeli further revealed that the weapon that had caused panic among members of the public and officers was later examined and found to be a fake gun, not a real firearm.

“He was indeed arrested and taken to the hospital for a check-up. The hospital revealed that he was mentally challenged. The gun he was with was also found not to be a real gun,” Masengeli said.

Even with the discovery that the man was mentally unstable and the gun was not genuine, Masengeli defended the officers’ decision to arrest him.

He explained that the police cannot afford to make assumptions in matters involving public safety, especially when an object closely resembles a real weapon.

He said officers are trained to remain alert at all times and must respond to any suspicious situation without taking unnecessary risks. According to him, police must always prioritize the safety of the public as well as their own security.

“The police remain vigilant to ensure that the security of the public is guaranteed, and even their own security,” he added.

The case attracted widespread public attention after a video that resurfaced online on Sunday, March 29 went viral. The clip showed police officers surrounding a street man at the Likoni Ferry before conducting a search on him as members of the public watched from a distance.

However, Coast Regional Police Commander Ali Nuno later clarified that the footage was not recent. He explained that the incident actually happened in October 2025, although it only gained fresh attention after the video started circulating again on social media.

During the search, officers recovered what looked like a real pistol, which had been tied around the man’s waist using a rope. Because of the way it was concealed and its close resemblance to an actual firearm, officers had to treat the matter seriously.

Apart from the fake pistol, the man was also reportedly carrying a sling bag and several other items, although the exact details of those items were not clearly shown in the viral clip. Dressed in old clothes and sacks, the man was then taken into police custody before later being escorted for medical examination.

Masengeli said the officers’ actions were guided by the need to avoid any possible danger, especially in a public place such as the Likoni Ferry, which serves thousands of commuters every day.

Although many people in the area already knew the man as someone living on the streets, police officers still chose not to ignore the situation. Authorities feared that, despite his appearance and condition, he could still have been unknowingly or deliberately linked to criminal activity.

Security agencies in Kenya have in the past raised concerns over the use of street families and street boys by criminal gangs. In many cases, gangs take advantage of vulnerable people on the streets to hide weapons, transport suspicious items, or gather intelligence, knowing they often attract less attention from authorities.

This concern has been reinforced by previous incidents in the country. In one such case, street boys in Dandora, Nairobi, surrendered more than five firearms, leaving authorities puzzled about where the weapons had come from and how they had ended up in their possession.

Because of such past experiences and the growing use of unconventional methods by criminal gangs, police in Likoni chose to treat the ferry incident with the seriousness it deserved, despite later discovering that the man was mentally challenged and the gun was fake.

The incident comes at a time when police have intensified security operations across the Coast region, especially in areas believed to be affected by gang activity and organized crime.

According to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), the ongoing crackdown has already led to the arrest of more than 20 suspects in less than a month, highlighting the heightened security alert currently in place across the region.

The fresh explanation by Masengeli now helps clear public confusion that followed the viral video, while also showing why police officers chose to act quickly in a situation that could easily have posed a serious security threat.

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