Mombasa County Commissioner Mohamed Noor briefing the press, where he warned conmen and content creators against the use of the male genitalia disappearance hoax for fame and robbery/KNA
The Mombasa County Security and Intelligence Committee has issued a stern warning against a growing wave of mob justice triggered by false claims of disappearing male genitalia, declaring that anyone involved in assaults or spreading the hoax will face prosecution.
The committee, led by Mombasa County Commissioner (CC) Mohamed Noor, said the alarming claims are malicious fabrications orchestrated by organised conmen, who exploit public fear to create confusion, rob innocent residents, and loot businesses.
The bizarre scam has recently sparked widespread panic and disrupted business activities across key commercial centres in the Coastal city. Within the last 48 hours, rowdy mobs incited by the false allegations descended on unsuspecting individuals at Kongowea and Marikiti markets, leaving several people injured.
The CC said the horrifying claims being orchestrated by criminals that their private parts had mysteriously disappeared after being touched by another person had heightened public tension and are being investigated.
"We have been able to arrest one person who was doing that. He said that he had lost his genitals, but he was investigated, and it turned out he had not lost anything. No one has the ability to remove it. “We went to all hospitals and health centres; no one has lost anything. It is gossip that is being misused, especially on TikTok,” he added.
The hoax reportedly began in the neighbouring Kwale County before spreading to Mombasa on Monday. Similar cases were reported at Kongowea and Marikiti markets, where members of the public assaulted two people after they were falsely accused of causing the disappearance of other people’s genitals through touch.
“In all these, they intend to create chaos to be able to rob traders and the shops. We have been able to get the videos, and we will apprehend those who did the assaults. They assaulted and injured an innocent person. They will be charged; the DCI is reviewing the videos.
If you assaulted a person at the market without a reason because you saw others being assaulted, you too will be charged because you don’t have the right to take the law into your own hands. All that is nonsense. They are cons intending to steal,” the CC explained.
Noor said anyone claiming to have lost their genitals would be arrested, taken to a hospital for examination, and charged with spreading false information.
He also warned content creators against using bizarre claims to gain social media attention at the expense of innocent people who end up being assaulted.
“Anyone who uses that for content, we will arrest. We don’t want those stories,” he stated.
Mombasa County Police Commander Stella Cherono echoed the sentiments, urging residents not to believe the false claims or resort to violence.
She advised the public to report such incidents to the police for proper investigations instead of taking matters into their own hands.
The Police Commander encouraged residents to cooperate with security agencies while refraining from assaulting anyone.
Cherono noted that three suspects had so far been arrested and that authorities were pursuing other individuals linked to the incidents.
