This archive report was first published on 21 October 2019.
On Mashujaa Day, October 20, 2019, Mombasa residents experienced a day of terror at the hands of soldiers who took over security in the city. The soldiers, who were armed and masked, barricaded empty open spaces and took control of the Likoni ferry, causing thousands of residents to converge at the Mama Ngina Waterfront Park.
Infantry soldiers in trucks and armored cars patrolled areas like Shelly Beach, and most residents who were interviewed complained of being manhandled by the soldiers. Many residents remained indoors, afraid of the military presence, while others were forced to sit in mud puddles or swim in sewage.
Mwangole Chikore, a 23-year-old salesman, was accosted by two military officers in masks and forced to swim in a sewer for about 10 minutes. Moses Juma and his girlfriend were also brutalized by soldiers, who forced them to remove their clothes and sit on a sewer.
Salim Matano was beaten and left for dead, and his Sh350 was stolen. Maxwell Shiheho was forced to remove his clothes and swim in a sewer, and Sammy Gitonga was beaten when he protested. Business at the ferry area was also affected, with traders being forced to attend the Mashujaa celebrations.
Police occupied all open spaces, including Mombasa's Treasury Square, Uhuru Gardens, Makandara, and Tononoka Grounds, to deter protests from activists who had threatened to hold a parallel rally.
