Rights groups launch weekly anti-graft protests in Mombasa

Youths from human rights organisations led by Haki Africa demonstrate against corruption along Moi Avenue in Mombasa. The group dubbed ‘The Red Shirt Movement’ will be demonstrating every Thursday in Mombasa. [Photo: Omondi Onyango/Standard]

Civil society groups in Mombasa Thursday launched street protests against corruption in national and country governments.

Clad in red t-shirts, hundreds of activists launched the Red Thursday Movement to campaign against public sector corruption and demanded action from relevant agencies.

The activists who were cheered by people in town said they will hold similar protests every Thursday and honk car horns while wearing the red shirts.

The Red Shirt Movement was proposed on Sunday by six rights groups in Mombasa who asked President Uhuru Kenyatta to resign, accusing his administration of promoting impunity regarding the war on graft.

 Silent protests

According to Hussein Khalid, Haki Africa executive director, several civil society groups working in collaboration with members of the public shall be holding silent protests every Thursday while donning red t-shirts to protest wanton corruption in the country.

"It is not a must for all to come out to protest together. You can chose to wear red t-shirts and stay at home just to symbolise protest against corruption,"Khalid said.

During yesterday's procession, which started at Haki Africa office located in Ganjoni, protesters who wore read t-shirt emblazoned with the inscription 'Act on Corruption Now or Resign', called on President Kenyatta to act expeditiously on corruption or resign.

They marched along the busy Moi Avenue bringing traffic to a stand still.