Mombasa's 'male organ theft' panic resurrects decades-old African myth

Mombasa County Commissioner Nur Hassan. [Courtesy]

A wave of social media-fueled panic has prompted innocent residents to flee and health officials and health workers in Mombasa to warn against false claims linking strangers to male organ theft.

The claims, which have circulated widely on TikTok, Facebook, and other social media platforms in recent days, have triggered fear across parts of the county and mobs have attacked several people based on unsubstantiated claims.

But security officials and health experts have found no evidence to support the allegations.

Mombasa County Commissioner Mohammed Nur said investigations into incidents in Likoni, Nyali and Mombasa's central business district, particularly around Marikiti Market, showed that no body parts were lost.

Medical examinations conducted on complainants confirmed they did not suffer physical harm of the sort that is being claimed. According to the county security team, criminals are exploiting the rumours to create confusion, distract victims and steal money and mobile phones.

“The claims are false and have no scientific basis. No one is capable of doing that. We have obtained CCTV footage and will pursue everyone involved in attacking innocent people. No one has the right to take the law into their own hands,” Nur said.

Mombasa County Commissioner Nur Hassan. [Courtesy]

While the allegations may seem bizarre, the phenomenon is nothing new and not unique to Kenya. For decades, similar accusations of “penis theft” or genital disappearance have been reported in Africa and have caused panic, mob violence and even deaths, but without medical evidence.

Some of the most widespread cases were reported in Nigeria, Ghana, Cameroon and Côte d’Ivoire in the 1990s and early 2000s, when people accused strangers of making their genitals shrink or disappear through a handshake or touch, or supernatural powers.

In several instances, suspects were beaten or killed before investigations found no evidence to support the claims. Psychologists and medical researchers have connected such episodes to mass psychogenic illness, a phenomenon in which fear and anxiety spread rapidly through communities, leading people to believe they are experiencing physical symptoms despite the absence of a medical cause.

Some cases have also been linked to Koro, a culture-related anxiety syndrome that was first identified in Asia but later reported in parts of Africa.

People affected by Koro develop an intense fear that their genitals are shrinking or retracting into the body, even when medical examinations reveal no physical abnormalities.

Such scares can happen at times of high social anxiety and are further enhanced by rumours, misinformation and community fear, health experts say.

Social media has also fueled the spread of such claims faster and more broadly, reaching more people before they can be verified. But the allegations have continued to spread online and, in the meantime, have helped to stoke fear and expose innocent people to mob attacks.

Now, security forces have turned to those caught on surveillance cameras participating in assaults.

 “If you’re seen in the video, we will arrest you and you will be answerable for why you were attacking someone without a particular reason,” Nur said.

The county commissioner also warned content creators and social media users against spreading misinformation or getting involved in any sort of online activity that might incite violence, warning that those found inciting violence would face legal action. But those involved in mob attacks could also be charged with robbery with violence and murder where victims die from their injuries, he said.

Law enforcement officials have advised residents to verify information before taking action, and to report suspicious activities to police, not to adopt vigilante justice.

As the investigation continues, officials say, the biggest threat might not be the rumour itself but the violence it generates. “What we’re dealing with is fear, misinformation and criminal opportunism,” Nur said.

“The public must remain calm and allow authorities to handle any legitimate complaints. And for health professionals, the lesson is clear: while rumours may evolve with technology, the psychology behind them remains remarkably unchanged.” He concluded.