Residents of Mombasa continue to express concerns over rising insecurity in the tourist city
Over the past few weeks, knife and panga-wielding gangs have wreaked havoc in the city centre, with cases of robberies and muggings on a steady increase.
The incidents have become so rampant that some netizens have taken to social media to demand more stringent measures by local authorities.
Some accuse county government officials of giving their cries a deaf ear, and have threatened to take up community security as the next call of action.
Within the last 24 hours alone, two nasty muggings within Mombasa have been reported on social media.
On Friday, December 2, 2022, a popular Twitter influencer known by his username “Jamrick” said he was robbed alongside his friends while on their way to the Likoni ferry.
One of his friends suffered serious injuries to his head.
Tumekuwa Robbed hapa kwa jam on our way kuishia kwa ferry,I swear wezi deserve to be killed fvck. pic.twitter.com/iInWVKu5pr
— iamjinx (@jamrick_) December 2, 2022
In the most recent case, popular Mvita businessman-cum-politician Fauz Khalid shared a gory video of a young man who was badly stabbed in the wee hours of Saturday morning in downtown Mombasa.
The victim was profusely bleeding from his stomach.
https://twitter.com/FauzKhalid/status/1598930244165140480?s=20&t=WckvGCHuuLDGgDgj6a80dQ
If we gang up into a vigilante and march to Mbaraki cemetery to flush out those robbers, Mombasa county and police will intervene to stop us saying we are taking the law on our hands. But thats a last resort, we are desparate and desparate times call for desparate measures
— SᗯᗩᕼIᒪI~ᑭᑌᑎᗪIT (@YussufMwinyi) December 3, 2022
Community Security is the solution, a mob has no mind and the thugs will redirect it's blood thirst to an innocent bystander one day. It has ever happened.
Organized community vigilante groups with intimate knowledge of the areas r the solution.
— rAjanItjJa (@rAjanItjJa) December 3, 2022
The sad part is that if one catches a thief taken to court the next day the guy is out. The guy threatens those who reported to the police. Then they continue stealing cause they know nothing will happen.
Ndio maana wananchi wamechoka. Weka tyres— Bo$$?????? (@Sam_Baja) December 3, 2022
As the number of unemployed increases, so does desperation among the youth & their families & consequently, their boldness to engage in crime.
This should be addressed immediately to prevent Kenya frm becoming like South Africa!#StopCrime@HKindikii @SakajaJohnson @A_S_Nassir— Vic Andy (@mainavic254) December 3, 2022
Where is @IPOA_KE they won’t see this lakini police when doing their work utawaona
— She King ? (@SheTheKing_) December 3, 2022
With the December holidays slowly setting in, business booms in Mombasa, with thousands of local and international tourists trooping down the coast to enjoy the festivities, warm weather, food and culture.
Criminals are known to take advantage of this peak season to pounce on unsuspecting foreigners.
Barely a week ago, Mombasa leaders, led by Governor Abdulswamad Nassir, said they had laid out a robust strategy to curb insecurity, including engaging idle youths with income-generating activities, enhancing foot patrols by police in civilian clothes, and setting up roadblocks in constituency borders.
The Mombasa County Assembly has also passed a motion to hire hundreds of Mombasa youths on a casual basis to clean up streets, beaches, and other recreational areas during the December holidays.
However, the effect of these efforts is yet to be felt.
