Mombasa county police commander Johnston Ipara has denied claims that there is a hit squad in the county targeting specific criminals.
This is after human rights activists including Muhuri and Haki Africa raised an alarm over increased extrajudicial killings in the county.
The two organizations said in August that there has
been 56 recorded cases of mysterious killings in the last eight months.
On Thursday evening, three teenagers were allegedly shot by police in Utange, Kisauni constituency.
They were aged, 19,18, and 17.
However, Ipara contradicted eye witness accounts that the youngsters were forced to lie down before they were shot dead.
Speaking in his office, Ipara said the three were in a group of over 10 people hiding behind the Utange primary perimeter wall with an intention to commit a crime.
He said the suspects charged at the police before they were shot.
“In defense, the officers were able to neutralize three. The rest managed to escape,” said Ipara.
He said two knives, a panga and a bag containing clothes suspected to have been stolen were recovered.
The police commander said the two lobby groups, Haki Africa and Muhuri, must declare their interest in criminals.
The two lobby groups have been vocal against extrajudicial killings.
Two mothers of the slain youths said their sons are involved in selling second hand clothes and were going about their business when they were picked by the police, taken to another place and shot dead.
Ipara, however,
asked the parents to record statements with the police showing evidence of the business their sons were involved in.
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