Several injured as police engaged protesters in running battles in Mombasa

Several protesters were on Tuesday afternoon injured during the anti-government protests in Mombasa town.

The street demonstration kicked off from the Mapembeni area along Moi Avenue.

Still, the police pushed the protesters from within the Mombasa Central Business District (CBD), through the Jomo Kenyatta Avenue towards the Saba Saba area.

The peaceful demonstration turned chaotic after police fired teargas canisters to disperse the crowd along Jomo Kenyatta Avenue. The police wanted the crowd to end the protest.

The youth blocked Jomo Kenyatta Avenue with stones and bags full of waste. They then started engaging the police in running battles.

The youthful protesters engaged the police officer by throwing stones and the police responded by firing teargas canisters.

Several teargas canisters landed in residential areas within the Majengo area, off Jomo Kenyatta Avenue.

Officers from the General Service Unit (GSU) had to be called in to assist in keeping the youth at bay.

Goons also took advantage of the situation and started robbing people.

Abdulaziz Ndegwa is one of the victims who was robbed.

He said that he was on his way to work at Moi Avenue when he was attacked around the Saba Saba area.

"I knew there were protests. I didn't know it was chaotic. When I arrived at Saba Saba, a gang of more than 10 youths attacked me and took away my phone and my ID," he said.

"This is not peaceful demos that Gen Z have been preaching, goons are now taking advantage of it."

There are also reports that at least one person suffered a gunshot wound on the leg, and was rushed to the hospital.

Muslim for Human Rights (Muhuri) Rapid Response Officer Francis Auma told the Star that the victim of the police shooting had been rushed to the hospital.

“We are yet to get the details of the said victim. But we have information that one person was shot in the leg by the police. I have also collected a spent cartridge, which clearly shows police were using live bullets on the demonstrators,” said Auma.

 Auma blamed the police for provoking the rather peaceful protestors when they tried to disperse them using teargas canisters.

He said several people had been injured due to the running battles.

“The police officers are the ones who provoked the peaceful demonstrators, therefore we won't let this go. We want this issue to be thoroughly investigated and legal action be taken against all those who were involved," he said.