State question after Coast Gen Z protests infiltrated by blood-thirsty gangs

Looters invaded Qaffee Point Restaurant in Mombasa during the anti-tax protests on July 2, 2024. [Kelvin Karani, Standard]

The anarchy witnessed during Tuesday's bloody protests in Coast was “planned in plain sight” but police officers fumbled and left helpless Kenyans under the mercy of goons, an analysis of the events has revealed.

Days before the bloody raid on the Qaffee Point Restaurant in Mombasa by armed goons, a picture of its proprietor was widely circulated on social media pages agitating for protest in the port city.

In the portrait, the said owner, who the police revealed shot three people, is seen seated with President William Ruto, United Democratic Alliance (UDA) Vice Chairman Hassan Omar and other party officials and supporters.

Human right activists believe the picture was a message to the planners of the raid of the hotel, that left three nursing gunshot injuries and the destruction of properties, including the burning of vehicles parked outside.

The second sign was when the offices of the Registrar of Persons at Bima Tower, about a kilometre from the said café which was the epicenter of the attacks, were raided by goons, despite assurances that all government facilities had been secured by the police.

“The goons carted away Identification Cards, Birth Certificates, and application forms. We suspect that they will use the documents to commit other crimes,” said a police source.

Francis Auma, a Muslim Human Rights (Muhuri) Rapid Response Officer who was in the protests, said the march was peaceful in the morning but turned chaotic after about 30 minutes.

He said that “common faces in the protests" started to suspect something fishy after some unfamiliar faces joined the protests in phases as they marched in the streets of Mombasa.

The other sign that protests had been infiltrated, according to multiple interviews, was when the leaders of the peaceful march lost control of the march with unfamiliar faces.

“We lost control of some unfamiliar faces that changed agreed routes to where people whose faces were covered with scarves or handkerchiefs joined us in small groups,” said Auma.

Some of the victims of the attacks said the men who covered their faces with scarves stood at points opposite Naivas Mwembe Tayari, Mackinnon market, and Fontanilla Roundabout.

Kennedy Ikutwa, who suffered stab wounds on his arms said he was waiting to board a matatu when a gang confronted him and ransacked his pockets while others stabbed him.

“I lost my phone and shoes to the attackers who also hurt me with a knife. It is like chaos was unleashed on us by the State because the police watched as I was attacked," he said.

After they solidified their place within the crowds, the knife-wielding gangs unleashed terror, stabbing and robbing locals and tourists in the presence of police officers.

Protestors and human rights activists said these blood-thirsty gangs arrived in Mombasa’s CBD riding motorcycles. They were dropped in small groups in different places.

To avoid any suspicions, some of the gangs that joined the protests around noon, posing as well-wishers distributing water to the protestors, seamlessly infiltrated the protests to launch brazen attacks on businesses.

A video clip circulating on social media shows the Qafee restaurant owner weathering a sustained attack by stone-throwing youth a short distance away from his glass establishment.

Minutes into the melee, the glass facade shattered. When the first salvo of stones resumes, the gun goes off nine times, and the crowd scatters. Two men lay down soaked in blood.

However, the said man, clad in a white kanzu, runs back and forth, pointing the weapon at the youth, shouting "ameua, ameua" (He has killed, he has killed). The youth then set ablaze five cars parked outside the café.

All the time, police were standing aside and watching as the drama unfolded. A source told The Sunday Standard that Qaffee Point was closed in anticipation of the chaos.

“The café was attacked by goons as police in three lorries watched. It is like the plan was to discredit peaceful protestors as people targeting those close to the president,” said Auma.

Thirteen suspects were arraigned in court over the attack on the café and burning of at least five high-end vehicles that were parked outside the hotel.

The police sought to detain the 13 for 21 days to enable them to complete the investigation over the brazen daylight attacks on businesses in front of police officers and the glare of cameras.

In the application, the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) said the 13 were among the gangs that infiltrated the peaceful protest to unleash terror on traders and locals.

At least two people were shot, several stabbed, and businesses of unknown value destroyed by the gangs that reportedly infiltrated the peaceful protests.

The owner of the Qaffee Point Hotel, who allegedly shot the two, was not charged in court as questions abound on what led to the altercation that forced him to draw his gun.

“While peaceful demonstrators were demonstrating against the Finance Bill the suspects engaged in arson, stealing, and malicious damage of properties within Mombasa island that left several motor vehicles burnt near Qaffee Point Hotel,” states an application by the DPP’s Benson Aketi.

Coast Civil Societies Network on Human Rights Chairman Zedekiah Adika said police were reluctant to stop the activities of the goons that terrorized the locals, businessmen, and tourists.

“Even though there were court orders barring police from using force and lobbying teargas, they should have stopped the looters. But they let the goons terrorize people,” said Adika.

"Yesterday we established that five people have been killed in Mombasa since the start of the anti-Finance Bill 2024 protests on June 25. This includes one victim stabbed last Tuesday," said Adika.

According to hospital records at Coast General Hospital, three victims had gunshot wounds, one was stabbed to death while the fifth victim, Emanual Tata choked to death on teargas.

Police sources said the knife-wielding gangs that infiltrated anti-government protests were members of dreaded criminal gangs ferried from Kisauni, Nyali, Likoni, and Changamwe areas.

“Some of these people were members of gangs used by some politicians during election campaigns to terrorist opponents or certain clusters of voters,” said a senior police officer.

During a television interview, the Cabinet Secretary for Interior Kithure Kindiki also said the gangs that wreaked havoc in Mombasa were cells of known gangs activated by political activists.

Multiple interviews revealed that three groups of knife-wielding gangs were ferried by a well-known political activist in Kisauni. They roamed freely attacking people and businesses.

Indiscriminately, the goons descended upon anyone and any business premises they passed and looted valuables and goods.

Premises robbed included Quick Matt in Mtwapa, Bata Shop along Digo Road, Qafee Point, a chemist in Kizingo, and several fruit vendors who lost all their stock to the goons.

Muslim clerics’ umbrella body yesterday criticised the conduct of police officers during the anti-Finance Bill protests, saying it pushed the country to the precipice of anarchy.

The Council of Imams and Preachers Kenya (CIPK) said the use of police to suppress divergent views during peaceful protests could ignite chaos akin to what happened in Libya, Sudan, and other countries.

CIPK Organising Secretary Sheikh Mohamed Khalifa applauded Gen Z for carrying out peaceful protests that led to the scrapping of the oppressive tax bill.

Sheikh Khalifa said it was clear that goons had infiltrated the protests and asked the youth to shelve the plan of going to the streets to avoid deaths and injuries. He said President William Ruto had heard them.

“What is happening now is no longer peace protests but bandits looting and burning the property of innocent Kenyans,” he said.

The cleric said scenes of police watching as Kenyans were being terrorized by goons were shocking, describing it as the darkest moment for the National Police Service.

“Police have failed to protect citizens and that is why we saw traders guard their property,” he said.