A man set himself on fire Thursday in Mombasa City’s Central Business District, reportedly as a protest against Kenya’s high cost of living.
Video captured by an onlooker shows passersby stopping to watch as a man in black standing atop a concrete block sets himself on fire. The crowd is heard gasping as the man then shouts and falls to the ground, still burning.
According to a report by Nation, the man was rushed to Coast General Teaching and Referral Hospital. Mombasa County Chief Fire Officer Ibrahim Basafir told the outlet that the man sustained serious burn injuries, but is alive and undergoing treatment.
Mwembe Tayari Chief Mohammed Musa told the Nation that even though the public pleaded with the man to come down, they failed to stop him.
“We are trying to trace his family; the information we have gathered so far is that he is a graduate from the University of Nairobi. We are yet to verify that information,” Musa told the Nation.
As reported by The Kenyan Daily Post, the cost of living is a highly-contested issue in Kenya. Many Kenyans are reported to have been complaining online that they cannot afford basic products.
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