A TOURIST was yesterday shot dead and her Ugandan boyfriend seriously wounded by unidentified gunmen in Old Town, Mombasa.
Unconfirmed reports indicate that she was German.
Police said the gunmen confronted the two as they walked along a street and shot them at pointblank range, killing the woman instantly.
Police reports said the woman was shot more than four times by the gunmen, who escaped on foot.
The boyfriend was shot in the neck and rushed to the Coast Provincial General Hospital in critical condition.
Mombasa county commander Robert Kitur confirmed the 5.30pm shooting, saying the police are investigating the attack.
“We have received information of another unfortunate cold murder of a foreigner. But details remain scant at this stage,” said Kitur.
Witnesses said the gunmen grabbed the woman's handbag and confidently walked into the densely populated Old Town estate. Her body was moved to a private hospital.
Kenya Association of Hotel Keepers and Caterers' Coast branch executive officer Sam Ikwaye said they have yet to confirm her nationality.
“This is yet another setback to a sector that has not yet revived due to insecurity threats in the country,” said Ikwaye.
The shooting of the tourist comes two days after two people were shot dead by unknown gunmen in Mombasa at a bar in Majengo.
The killing occurred barely three weeks after a Russian tourist was shot dead in the same area.
Thirty-year-old Maria Tatyana was murdered as she was being shown around by a tour guide. Only one arrest has been made so far - of the tour guide. The killers are suspected to be members of local terror cells. The tourist was with with two other people when three gunmen opened fire and grabbed a bag containing cameras, phones and other personal belongings. The tour guide has since been charged - with operating without a licence.
Fort Jesus is a 16th Century Portuguese-built fortification and a Unesco World Heritage Site.
Mombasa has been the scene of worsening unrest in recent months, with a string of shootings and bombings blamed on Somalia’s al Shabaab rebels and local supporters. The killings continue despite assurances by the government that it is in control. Kenya Defence Forces personnel, GSU and regular police have been deployed in various parts of the coastal region in an attempt to arrest the runaway insecurity.
Last month, the US and Britain renewed travel advisories to their citizens, cautioning them against any travel to the Coast region.
The two countries noted that it is currently unsafe to travel to Mombasa and its surroundings areas following the recent attacks.
The UK’s Foreign and Commonwealth Office specifically singled out Mombasa Island and any area within 5 kilometers of the Coast from Mtwapa Creek in the North to Tiwi in the South. They however excluded Diani and the Moi International Airport.
A number of hotels have laid off employees in the face of an unprecedented slump in tourist numbers.