On Saturday, Mombasa county inspectorate officers witnessed firsthand the harsh realities of harassment inflicted by street boys.
Led by Abdalla Daleno, the Chief Officer of Governance and Serikali Mtaani, the team set out from the Tudor inspectorate department to address numerous complaints about street harassment. Their first stop, Haile Selasie Avenue, revealed the severity of the problem: a street boy was assaulting a woman, forcibly silencing her.
This incident was just one example of the many troubling situations residents face in Mombasa, particularly in the central business district. The street boys, organized into gangs, have established territories and operate under the direction of leaders who oversee their criminal activities. These gangs meet at specific locations to count their stolen goods, but only in the presence of their leaders.
The gangs function like tight-knit communities, with internal disputes and some members even hijacking tuk-tuks to access medical care when needed. Relationships also form within these groups, with gang leaders typically choosing their partners before others are permitted to pursue romantic interests.
“This situation is unacceptable. We cannot tolerate living under such gangster rule,” Daleno stated after at least 50 street boys were detained.
Many of those arrested claimed to be from Tanzania and Burundi. The county’s initiative to remove street urchins from Mombasa streets began on Saturday and will continue until the streets are cleared, according to Daleno. The county plans to collaborate with the national government to rehabilitate and repatriate these individuals, offering rehabilitation and income-generating opportunities to those willing to change.
Daleno also noted concerns about the possibility of organized trafficking operations similar to those previously reported in Nairobi. He mentioned that an investigative documentary had exposed a lucrative business involving the trafficking of individuals to beg in Kenya, and a similar operation might be at play in Mombasa.
The street boys have also caused disturbances in public cemeteries, intimidating visitors and impeding access to graves. Daleno emphasized that this operation will persist until Mombasa is free of these street families, with ongoing efforts to trace their origins and deport them if necessary.
Popular areas affected include behind Sapphire Hotel near Mombasa Railway Station, Makadara grounds, and near Splendid matatu stage. The arrested individuals are uncooperative, and there are suspicions of threats keeping them silent.
“We are committed to eradicating this issue and will continue until we achieve our goal,” Daleno concluded.
