A shocking incident occurred in Mombasa, Kenya, on Thursday, August 17, when a man set himself on fire in front of a crowd of people.
The man, whose identity has not been revealed, was reportedly expressing his frustration over the high cost of living and the disputed presidential election that took place earlier this month.
According to eyewitnesses, the man climbed on top of a concrete block near a petrol station around Mwembe Tayari in Mombasa and poured a liquid substance on his body.
He then lit a match and ignited himself, while some bystanders watched in horror and others recorded the scene with their phones.
Some people tried to dissuade him from taking his own life, telling him to be hopeful that things would get better.
However, the man ignored their pleas and went ahead with his self-immolation. He was later rushed to Coast General Teaching and Referral Hospital, where he is said to be in critical condition with severe burn injuries.
The motive behind the man’s drastic action is still unclear, as he has not been questioned by the police yet. However, some onlookers claimed that he was protesting against the high cost of living and the 2022 presidential election, in which the incumbent deputy president William Ruto defeated the veteran opposition leader Raila Odinga.
Ruto won with 50.49% of the vote, narrowly surpassing the 50% plus one threshold required to avoid a runoff. Odinga, who was contesting his fifth election, alleged that there were irregularities and fraud in the voting process and challenged the results in court. However, his petition was dismissed by the Supreme Court, which upheld Ruto’s victory.
Many Kenyans have been complaining about the rising cost of living in the country, which has been attributed to various factors such as surging fuel prices, persistent drought conditions, and the depreciation of the Shilling. The inflation rate reached 6.44% in July 2022, the highest since November 2019. Some basic products such as bread, milk, eggs, and cooking oil have become unaffordable for many low-income households.
The government has announced some measures to ease the economic burden on the citizens, such as reducing taxes on fuel and electricity, increasing social protection programs, and providing subsidies for farmers. However, these interventions have not been enough to address the root causes of the economic crisis or to satisfy the public’s demands for better governance and accountability.
