Armed robbers storm Watamu Mall, target foreigner linked to Ksh.79M fraud case

The incident, which occurred on Thursday afternoon, has shocked the usually tranquil coastal resort town, long regarded as one of the country's safest tourist destinations.

A CCTV clip that has since gone viral shows four armed men arriving at the mall on a motorcycle before carrying out a swift, one-minute operation at around 4:00 pm. The suspects, who wore masks, were armed with pistols and reportedly fired shots in the air during the raid.

In a twist that has deepened the mystery surrounding the incident, the gunmen bypassed major establishments within the mall, including an I&M Bank branch, a Safaricom shop and a supermarket.

Instead, they stormed a small restaurant, ignored the cashier and focused their attention on customers seated at a specific table.

Sources indicate that the targeted table had been vacated about 20 minutes earlier by Joel, an Irish-American national currently embroiled in a Ksh.79 million fraud case involving his estranged wife, Martha Shiro.

Local residents and investigators believe the precision of the operation points to a targeted attack rather than a random robbery.

Detectives are now investigating whether the incident is directly linked to Joel's ongoing multi-million-shilling legal dispute.

DCI boss Amin Mohamed has assured the public that the suspects will be apprehended and brought to justice. Security has since been heightened across the holiday resort town following the unprecedented daytime attack.