GSU Officers Punish Likoni Ferry Passengers Without Face Masks

Motorists and pedestrians alight from MV Nyayo at the Likoni channel in Mombasa on January 15, 2019.
Motorists and pedestrians alight from MV Nyayo at the Likoni channel in Mombasa on January 15, 2019.
Daily Nation

On Wednesday, November 4, a joint operation between The Kenya Coast Guard Service and GSU officers descended on the Likoni Ferry in a crackdown targeting people without facemasks.

Commuters found without facemasks, alongside those wearing them on their chins, were rounded up and walked through several military-themed punishments to serve as a lesson.

According to reports, 8 of them were arrested during the operation that took place in the mid-morning hours.

“They asked me to lie down for 10 minutes. I was not putting on my mask properly and the officers called me and asked me to do the punishment,” one of the commuters narrated to a Nation reporter.

Kenya Ferry Services transporting residents in Mombasa.
Kenya Ferry Services transporting residents in Mombasa.
Twitter

In a surprise turn of events, some of the culprits actually lauded the punishment, arguing that it was better than the mandated Ksh 20,000 fine.

The surge in Coronavirus cases in Mombasa has seen county officials renew efforts to ensure people adhere to the basic prevention measures.

On November 2, police officers mounted a major crackdown targeting matatus that were flouting the Covid-19 rules in Mombasa.

The latest operation in Mombasa came on the day when President Uhuru Kenyatta convened an emergency meeting to determine what measures to take to counter the second wave of the pandemic.

Speaking during the meeting, Council of Governors Chair Wycliffe Oparanya announced that the CoG had resolved to launch a campaign dubbed No Mask No Service.

"Governments will begin a sensitizing campaign. 'No Mask No Service'. Any worker found rendering services to a person not observing the protocols will be found liable," he stated.

On his part, the President revealed that he would be forced to make unpopular decisions for the good of the country.

"We need to be honest with ourselves today about the Covid-19 situation. Is what we consider our best enough? Did we backside from our vigilance? Are we succumbing to fatigue?

"Leadership is not a position but the actions we take. We must exercise collective leadership to fight this virus. We must choose the bold over the popular. We must admit there's a collective failure in enforcement. The two levels of government have failed to enforce compliance with the protocols," he stated.

President Uhuru Kenyatta (right) with Health CS Mutahi Kagwe (left) during the biometric registration of the Universal Healthcare Coverage Programme (UHC) in Mombasa County on Saturday, October 30, 2020
President Uhuru Kenyatta (right) with Health CS Mutahi Kagwe (left) during the biometric registration of the Universal Healthcare Coverage Programme (UHC) in Mombasa County on Saturday, October 30, 2020
PSCU
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