Security firm alleges banker was violent, abusive before his death

David Kamau who succumbed to injuries on January 14, after he was beaten by security guards at Nyali center, Mombasa County

MOMBASA, KENYA: A security firm has claimed a banker killed in Mombasa early January 7 was violent and abusive when confronted by its guards for urinating in the open.

The security firm Solvit Security Solutions Limited bought space in newspapers on Monday to provide its version of events leading to David Kamau Wokabi’s death and depicted the deceased as a violent man who slashed one of its guards with a sword in an altercation.

The firm described the deceased as “the aggressor” and “dangerous man” when analysed from the totality of what transpired that day.

For the first time the firm is laying out its case based on its analysis of closed circuit television footage of the tragic events. Two of its guards have been detained and interrogated after the killing and the firm says it is saddened by what happened and is also cooperating with detectives on the matter.

Last week Coast Regional Coordinator Nelson Marwa claimed the firm is hiding some guards, allegedly, wanted for interrogation and also claimed Solvit’s managers were trying to subvert the probe using money.

In the advertisement, the firm says it has been characterised wrongly in the main stream and social media over this matter. The statement says an altercation began between the deceased and its guards when David emerged from a building to begin urinating in the compound at the mall where they were guarding.

It adds that the deceased reacted violently when one of the firm’s guard’s Saidi Mwamuye questioned this conduct.

“The guard inquired from him about his actions but the man turned abusive and violent.”

The statement further alleges that the deceased then rushed to his car and “came back wielding a sword which he used to attack the guard, inflicting a cut in the hand of the security guard….”

According to this version David remained violent brandishing the sword as other guards attended to their wounded colleague.

Then a woman entered the driver’s seat in David’s car with the deceased seated as a passenger and they began to drive to the gate after reversing, says the statement that claims that other guards raised the alarm about a dangerous man with a weapon as the couple tried to drive away.

Meanwhile, according to the alleged CCTV footage David was in the driving seat moving towards the barrier then alighted to cut away a rope supporting the gate.

“A commotion ensued after David alights from the car to open the gate without the sword in his hand,” followed by a “push and pull….then we see one guard hitting him on the back and he fell down,” says the statement.

According to this statement a crowd soon gathered at the scene after David fell but did not attack the guards. The statement suggests the crowd was convinced the guards were innocent.

“The CCTV clip eventually captures members of the public gathering around the gate but they do not attack our guards as it is clear that David was the aggressor in this case.”