Mombasa man seeks justice after inspectorate officers allegedly cut off his 2 fingers

A man in Mombasa is seeking justice against the county's inspectorate officers, whom he claimed cut off two of his fingers following a physical altercation.

Said Kalimbo, an employee at Baze Collection on Meru Road, located near the Posta area, said that he went to work as usual on Tuesday, May 14, and all was well until around 11:30 am when the county inspectorate officers showed up at the shop.

A confrontation ensued after the officers asked to inspect the boutique shop’s board licence. 

Said claims that he informed the officers that the shop owner was absent and that it would be better if they returned later, when he was present.

The alleged victim, who has worked at the boutique shop for four years, had stepped outside the shop to speak to the officers. 

"I told them to come back later when my employer is available, but they insisted on arresting me to go with them. Fortunately, the wife of my employer, who was at the shop on the opposite side, heard (the confrontation)," Said said.

He continued, "An argument started, and when one officer tried to grab her, I intervened and offered to go with them to their vehicle as long as they let go of my employee’s wife.”

Said, however, seized advantage of the commotion to call and update his employer about the situation. Ten minutes later, the employer arrived and attempted to intervene and de-escalate the wrangle. 

Nonetheless, despite the employee’s arrival, the county officers allegedly insisted on Said accompanying them, further worsening the tensions that had flared. 

74 County Inspectorate Officers from Mombasa and Kilifi Counties graduate through an Inter-county exchange program in August 2021. (Photo: Ali Hassan Joho)

"One of the officers took out handcuffs, and I suspect it was either with these or another tool that they used to cut off my fingers. When they saw what happened, they ran away," Said alleged. 

He added that he filed a report at Central Police Station but has yet to receive an OB number.

To heap pressure on the officers to attend to his case, Said plans to visit the governor's office with his lawyer for further action when he is discharged. He is currently admitted to Pandya Memorial Hospital, where he is receiving his treatment.

His employer agreed to cover all his medical expenses, but it was yet to be clear whether they would seek compensation later on.

Said, who claims that he was only attempting to provide for his family when the officers attacked him, is extremely upset about the incident.

"I left home to earn a living for my children, and now I am disabled. This needs to reach the governor and relevant authorities for justice,” he lamented. 

His mother, Shamsa Ibrahim, also expressed her anguish over the incident, saying, "They have wronged him. My first-born son deserves justice. This is not a way to treat a human." 

Fatma Ali, his wife, echoed her mother-in-law's sentiment, lamenting that her family may struggle to make ends meet as they solely depend on Said as the breadwinner. 

"I am unhappy with how they treated him. He needs his justice," she stated.

Mombasa County government has since launched an investigation into the matter, according to Public Service CECM Kenneth Ambani, who spoke to The Eastleigh Voice.

“I have referred the case to Charles Changawa for investigation,” he said.

Changawa is the head of the inspectorate department in the county.