Activists allege three dead in Mombasa after protests

Three people have reportedly been killed in Mombasa in the ongoing wave of anti-Finance Bill protests in the last couple of weeks.

The latest victim is 36-year-old Joash Ombati, a father of two who was allegedly shot by police during last week’s protests in Mombasa.

Ombati’s family, now seeking justice, discovered his body at the Coast General Teaching and Referral Hospital Morgue after last Tuesday’s protest.

“My son went missing, and I searched for him when he didn’t return home on Wednesday. On Friday, I was informed he was at the hospital. When I arrived, I found out he had been shot. He was my firstborn and leaves behind two children. I plead with the government to help us and ensure justice is served,” his father, Jackson Ombati, said.

Another relative, James Omingo, expressed sorrow over Ombati’s death and criticized the police for excessive force.

“It’s very sad to lose someone like this, leaving behind young children. He did not expect this. These young men were fighting for their rights. His wife now faces the challenge of caring for their children alone,” Omingo said.

Inhaling teargas

The incident follows the death of another protestor, Emmanuel Giggs Tata, 20, who succumbed after inhaling teargas fired by police in the CBD.

A second-year student at the Meru National Polytechnic, Giggs began experiencing breathing difficulties after teargas canisters were fired at demonstrators near Mwembe Tayari.

“Giggs was energetic during the march, but after the teargas, he struggled to breathe,” his cousin, Samson Nzamba, explained.

His father, Paul Tata, said, “My son didn’t have any underlying health conditions. A tear gas canister fell near him, and he started complaining of chest pains before fainting. He was pronounced dead at the hospital. I want justice for my son.”

Human rights organizations are demanding an immediate investigation, accusing authorities of extrajudicial killings.

They have documented three deaths during the protests in Mombasa—two from gunshots and one from teargas inhalation—and report several others injured and still hospitalized.

Documented deaths

“We extend our condolences to Joash’s family. There is still one unidentified body at Coast General. As human rights groups, we have documented three deaths during the Mombasa protests,” Haki Africa Rapid Response Officer Mathias Shipeta said.

“We are asking for accountability. After the Finance Bill was withdrawn, there must be accountability for those killed and injured. We are calling upon IPOA and all human rights groups to file a case against any officer involved in the killings during the protests. It is sad that young people who came out peacefully to protest, exercising their constitutional right, were killed.”

Muhuri’s Rapid Response Officer Francis Auma confirmed the deaths and announced plans for legal action. “We will conduct autopsies on Monday. But I assure you, we will use all legal means. We want the country to be governed properly through legal means,” he said.

Protesters arricaded the Kilifi-Malindi highway in Kwa Kazuri near coastal Mombasa, the Nation news website reported.

Kilifi North subcounty police commander is leading a team of police officers to clear the road, the report said.

Kenya’s youth-driven, leaderless protest movement finds itself at a crossroads this weekend, buoyed up by President William Ruto’s surprise decision on Wednesday to abandon a finance bill containing planned tax rises even as it mourns those killed in deadly violence the day before.

The movement that brought thousands of people out on to the streets in recent weeks, against the backdrop of a cost of a living crisis that has left many young people feeling hopeless, has little precedence in Kenya where protests are traditionally elite-led.