Man Sets Himself Ablaze Over High Cost Of Living In Kenya

A man whose name is yet to be made public has reportedly set himself on fire over the high cost of living in Kenya.

Naija News learnt that the Kenya citizen had joined a group of persons earlier on Thursday, August 17, in Mombasa City’s Central Business District to protest the current state of the country.

Reports revealed that the man had stood still on top of a concrete block near a petrol station around Mwembe Tayari in Mombasa and, after a while, set himself ablaze while bystanders watched and others recorded.

Onlookers are said to have begged him to be hopeful that things would get better, but the citizen was determined to take his own life.

According to the report, the man was rushed to Coast General Teaching and Referral Hospital. Mombasa County Chief Fire Officer, Ibrahim Basafir, reportedly told journalists on Friday that the man sustained serious burn injuries but was alive and undergoing treatment.

Meanwhile, some onlookers had told journalists that the man was setting himself on fire because he had stolen some goods.

The citizen was said to have first, poured some liquid suspected to be a flammable substance on his body before lighting himself. Despite pleas and encouragement from those standing by, the citizen reportedly went ahead to set himself on fire.

“We have already rushed him to Coast General Hospital, where he is receiving treatment,” The Nation in Kenya quoted a County Chief saying, adding that the police were yet to question him on what prompted him to take the drastic action.

According to the police chief, the man had told the eyewitnesses he was protesting against the high cost of living and the 2022 “stolen” presidential election, in which the opposition leader Raila Odinga lost to President William Ruto. Ruto’s victory was upheld in court, which dismissed Mr Odinga’s claims of irregularities.

Naija News learnt that the cost of living in Kenya has been a matter of concern recently. Many Kenyans are reported to have been complaining online that they cannot afford basic products.

The rise in the cost of living has primarily been linked to surging fuel prices, persistent drought conditions, and the depreciation of the Shilling.