Gen Z protests: Mombasa families seek justice for kin killed in 2024
Emmanuel Tata, who died after inhaling tear gas at Mwembe Tayari in Mombasa County during protests against the Finance Bill 2024.
As the country marks one year since the anti-government protests of 2024, two families in Mombasa continue to live in the shadows of grief and unanswered questions.
For Paul Tata, father to Giggs Emmanuel Tata, and Jason Ogutu Ombati, father to Joash Ombati, June is no longer just another month on the calendar.
It’s a painful reminder of the days their sons lost their lives in the chaos that engulfed the streets, and the silence that followed.
Mr Ogutu still remembers the confusion of that Thursday afternoon. He had just returned from work when word came that protests had erupted in Mombasa. His son, Justus, had stepped out earlier that day to work on a construction site. By evening, Justus hadn’t returned home.
“I called his landlord. He had not seen him either. I decided to check at the Central Police Station, hoping he’d been arrested. But he wasn’t there," recalls Mr Ogutu.
Then came a call from a stranger. Someone from the Red Cross informed him that his son had been found, badly injured and bleeding heavily.
“They said they tried to save him. They rushed him to a private hospital, then to Makadara... but it was too late,” he adds.
Since then, the journey has been emotionally and financially draining.
“I didn’t even ask many questions about justice. The process just didn’t move. It’s the human rights organisations that helped us bury him,” he says.
Justus, born in 1993, left behind a wife and two children. Now they all depend on Mr Ogutu who says he has heard nothing from the government since the incident.
“The government is using the police the wrong way. Nobody shoots another like that unless they are ordered to. You tell me, has any police officer died from protests? I request parents who lost their children to come out for prayers,” says Mr Ogutu.
A few kilometres away in Mikindani still in Mombasa County, Paul Tata struggles with a different kind of pain. His son, Giggs, died after being exposed to tear gas that left him unable to breathe.
“A year has passed, and life has never gone back to what it was. My son is gone, and the government has stayed silent. Not one official has come to speak to me, not even to say sorry,” says Mr Tata.
Paul’s search for justice led him to the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (Ipoa) but it was the same story. The case file is with the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP).
He speaks of hospital visits, tests, and stress.
“I ended up with a stroke. Diabetes has hit. My wife still hasn’t recovered emotionally. She won’t even let me talk about it anymore. She just says, ‘Let God handle it,” says Mr Tata.
He says that their daughter, Giggs’ sister, only recently regained her academic focus after months of emotional struggle.
“To me, compensation might help, but it means nothing if there is no justice for my son,” says Tata. Government leaders talk every day about how they will deal with Kenyans who go out to protest, but they forget that they too have children. You killed our children, and now you act as if it never happened,” he adds.
According to Muslim for Human Rights (Muhuri) organisation activist Francis Auma, three individuals died in Mombasa during the Gen Z protests, and the status of their cases remains with Ipoa.
“We conducted a post-mortem and submitted the bullets for ballistic testing. These families have suffered and it is our duty to ensure their voices are heard. Those who died were not criminals. They were Kenyans,” said Mr Auma.
On Monday, activists in Mombasa met with the County Police Commander and other security officials to ensure the safety of protesters.
“We’ve been assured of security. We have heard reports that some people might try to infiltrate the gathering, but we are alert. No Kenyan property will be destroyed. We’re only gathering to commemorate,” said Haki Africa rapid response officer Mr Mathias Shipeta.