By Meza Mwanza
Mombasa County, Kenya: Police in Mombasa on Thursday engaged protestors in running battles, lobbing teargas canisters to disperse crowds that had converged in various locations within Mombasa’s central business district.
This comes as the civil society group, Muslims for Human Rights (MUHURI) in Mombasa, confirmed that three people have died, and more than 50 other protestors are nursing serious injuries at the Coast General Teaching and Referral Hospital following the ongoing anti-Finance Bill 2024 demonstrations.
“Law enforcement authorities are exerting undue force in their efforts to quell the unrest among the youth. Presently, we, as individuals with inherent rights, have verified that three young men have lost their lives – two of them at the Coast General Hospital and one at Pandya Hospital.
Additionally, there are reports of 50 others sustaining injuries and receiving medical care at the Coast Hospital. It is imperative that we denounce such egregious actions,” stated the human rights advocate.
Despite the withdrawal of the Finance Bill 2024 by the head of state yesterday, youths, commonly referred to as Gen Z, came out in numbers to protest.
The CBD remained deserted for the better part of the day as the protestors converged in different parts of the town, closing major roads and burning tires on the roadside.
At Mwembe Tayari, protestors engaged the police in running battles, forcing the police to lob tear gas canisters and fire in the air to keep them at bay.
Some of the protestors were seen throwing stones at the police officers while others engaged in stealing and destroying supermarkets and shops were subsequently arrested.
“There are certain factions of young individuals whom we suspect are being manipulated by political figures. Instances of vandalism and theft have been observed in areas such as Mwembe Tayari, Saba Saba, and Old Town. We contend that these individuals are not peaceful demonstrators, but rather henchmen being exploited,” asserted the representative of MUHURI.
Roads leading to State House Mombasa were all barricaded and manned by heavily armed police officers to resist the protestors who had threatened to storm State House.
Speaking to a group of youths protesting demanded the government compensate the families who lost their loved ones during Tuesday’s anti-Finance Bill demonstrations.
At the same time, civil society groups accused the police of using excessive force to disperse the protesters, threatening legal action against the police for their actions.
They further condemned today’s demonstrations, which were planned to be peaceful, stating that they were invaded by goons who caused mayhem.
