Coast Regional Commissioner John Elungata has read a riot act to human rights groups in the region which have been accusing the police of extra-judicial killings.
Last Saturday, police gunned down five suspected criminals in Bombolulu area of Nyali constituency.
Several human rights groups in the region came out to accuse the police of killing innocent people.
Elungata said they do not want to engage in a war of words with these human rights groups but they know the government must fight crime.
“The government does not exist to eliminate people, it is there to fight crime and if crime exists it must be fought from all fronts,” said Elungata.
He said in instances where crime happens and police are slow to act, they are branded and called all sorts of names.
“However, when the police act decisively and swiftly when crime happens, human rights groups still call us all sorts of names. Let us be serious,” said Elungata.
He said the national government will not sit back and watch as criminals go about their business.
“Any criminal engaging or fighting the police with a firearm is actually in a war. The police will not sit back and watch to see this person harming them or other innocent Kenyans,” said the RC.
He said the Kenyan laws allow the police to use firearms in instances where their lives are threatened or the lives of the citizens they protect are in danger.
“That group that the police dealt with is a group that has been killing people here in Mombasa. So, there has to be a sense of proportion when human rights crusaders or defenders talk about the government’s action,” he said.
On Monday this week the civil societies led by Muslim for Human Rights (MUHURI) and HAKI AFRICA held a joint press conference on behalf of the two families, 62-year-old Benedicto Kago Mugure and 43-year-old Newton Kibara.
The civil society lobby group through their representative Khelef Khalifa who is the Chair of Muslims for Human Rights (MUHURI), Mathias Shipeta KAKI AFRICA rapid response officer and Francis Auma MUHURI rapid response officer accused the police officers of torturing and killing Benedicto Kago Mugure and Newton Kibara .
On Saturday’s incident when the five thugs were gunned down, Nyali sub county police commander Daniel Mumasaba said the five dreaded gangsters are part of a criminal network that was behind a spate of robberies in business premises.
Three bodies of the slain criminals have not yet been claimed by any family member.