Kenyan-Born Artist Fatally Shot in Armed Robbery at Treasure Beach, Jamaica
A Kenyan-born sculptor was shot dead during an armed robbery at his home in Treasure Beach, St Elizabeth, on Friday night.
Police say Patrick Mazola wa Mwashighadi, 62, was attacked shortly after midnight when several gunmen forced their way into his apartment and demanded money. He was with a partner, whose identity has not been released. When the assailants’ demands were not met, they opened fire. Mazola was taken to Black River Field Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Following the killing, authorities imposed a curfew in the Treasure Beach area and launched a search for the suspects. The incident has unsettled residents of the normally close-knit community, which is known for its strong local ties and cultural activity.
Mazola spent nearly thirty years in Jamaica and was widely regarded in the country’s artistic community. Fellow artist Andy Jefferson described him as talented and humble, noting the loss comes as Jamaica continues to recover from Hurricane Melissa.
Born in Kenya, Mazola began his professional life as a teacher before studying fine art at the Creative Art Centre in Nairobi. He received the Commonwealth Art and Craft Fellowship Award in 1997, which brought him to the Edna Manley College of the Visual and Performing Arts.
He specialised in sculpture and later settled permanently in Jamaica, contributing extensively to local arts education and practice. Mazola’s work mirrored a blend of spiritual influences, drawing on Christianity and other traditions. Although often assumed to be Rastafarian, he described his approach as inclusive and rooted in varied beliefs.
