Reuben Mwambingu and Agnes Mtengo
Authorities in Mombasa have launched investigations to establish the motive behind the killing of a 55-year-old Dutchman whose night guard was also murdered at an apartment in Bamburi area on Friday.
The lifeless body of the deceased Herman Rouwenhorst was found sprawling on his bed at his Rocco apartment in Bamburi with a gag on his mouth and his hands and legs tied using a rope.
The incident comes hot on the heels of another suspected murder of yet another foreigner -Krabbe Deitter- a German national whose body was discovered on the ground floor of a five-storey apartment in the same area last week.
On Friday, Coast Regional Police Commander Paul Ndambuki said detectives arrived at the scene in Bamburi after responding to a distress call by an unknown caller who reported an alleged kidnapping incident of a woman identified as Riziki Cherono who was found within Shanzu area near the stretch between Pride Inn and Serena hotels.
The woman was alleged to be abducted, with her hands tightly strapped on her car's steering wheel.
According to police reports filed at Bamburi police station under OB 6/4/2021, Riziki alleged that she was driven in the car to the said place from their apartment.
The officers accompanied her to the apartment where they found the body of Rouwenhorst lying on their bed having been murdered.
Confirming the incident, Ndambuki said that the apartment's guard had also died while receiving treatment in a Mombasa hospital.
‘‘The nightguard who was found unconscious and profusely bleeding at the scene of attack has also died while receiving treatment in a hospital,’’ the police boss confirmed.
Ndambuki further explained that criminal investigation officers are already interrogating Cherono in connection with the murder of her husband.
“We have launched investigations into the incident, and the criminal investigation officers are also interrogating the woman in connection with the murder of her husband, ’’Ndambuki said.
Coast Regional Coordinator John Elungata however said the incident was being treated as a normal crime and that there is no cause for alarm.
“This is an isolated incident; it has no connection with what we see in Kisauni. This is an organized crime because he is somebody who was picked out among his neighbours. So, we are still investigating to find out more,” Elungata said.
The body of the deceased Dutchman was moved to Pandya Hospital mortuary awaiting postmortem.
