Police Officer Dies in Mombasa After Attack by Bees

A Mombasa family is in mourning after one of their member, a police officer, died following an attack from a swarm of bees.

According to a police report filed at Makupa Police Station on December 11, officer John Muthine Mutwiri was in the company of two friends driving a Subaru Forester when the incident occurred at around 11:45 a.m. at Majengo Red Brick area.

Following the attack from the bees, the trio alighted and ran for their dear lives, but John was overwhelmed before losing consciousness and collapsing.

“The bees entered the vehicle, and they alighted to get safety outside. They all ran in different directions.

“The said driver was overwhelmed by the bee stings and fell at a nearby garage where through the assistance of the garage owner one Mwaruwa Chikophe. He managed to get a Tuk Tuk and rushed him to (hospital),” read the statement in part.

John, who is stationed at one of the top investigation agencies as an enforcement officer, was pronounced dead upon his arrival at Coast General Teaching and Referral Hospital where he was rushed to seek medication.

His body was taken to Coast General Teaching and Referral Hospital Mortuary for a necropsy to determine the cause of his death as sleuths carry out further investigations.

According to Pubmed, bee stings contain a venom that is lethal when it gets into humans as it causes anaphylaxis, which is a severe allergic reaction.

However, the death result is determined by several factors including the site of the sting, environmental temperature, and the type of the bee. Africanized honey bees or “killer bees” are the most dangerous bees known for their aggressive attack when one invades their territory.