Mombasa's iconic tusks smeared with red paint, graffiti

Mombasa residents woke up to a rude shock Friday morning when they found the city’s iconic tusks across Moi Avenue defaced.

Unknown people — apparently misbehaving in the dead of night — smeared the aluminium sculptures with red paint and graffiti reading: "Mombasa Not 4 Ivory Export".

No one has so far been arrested in connection with the strange act.

Mombasa County Executive for Water and Environment Fatma Awale told the Nation that the county government would take stern action against anyone found destroying or messing with the county beautification programme.

“I am aware of the mess at the tusks, this is sheer malice, the tusks that are there are not made of ivory, these are a historical component of the county and it identifies with Mombasa.

“This is part of beautification and unless somebody has got a personal vendetta against the county where they want to deface the whole beauty of the area,” Ms Awale said.

She warned vandals and those with ill motives that they would be arrested if found messing with county property.

“The county will not accept nor tolerate such behaviours. Anyone who is caught will be arrested.

"The person who did this picked an ivory-related feature to pass a message; if anyone wants to sign a petition, we are in agreement — Mombasa is not a selling point of ivory.

"We don't condone the killing of elephants, but somebody should not take it upon themselves to deface county property while passing on a message,” she insisted.

Ms Awale asked members of the public to take responsibility for county property, reminding them of the Mji Wangu Wajibu Wangu community policing initiative led by the residents. She promised that security would be beefed up in the area.

TOURISM BODY EXPRESSED DISCONTENT

At the same time, Kenya Coast Tourism Association chairman Mohammed Hersi expressed disgust at the "bloody" sight of the tusks, saying that the group had maintained the landmark for many years.

The Heritage Hotels Kenya Limited CEO said the tusks are a symbolic representation of Mombasa and that it was wrong for anyone to deface it.

“As Kenya Coast Tourism Association, formerly MCTA, we have maintained this Mombasa landmark for years. We certainly abhor any trade in ivory. I personally led a demo in the city condemning the ivory trade.

“For anyone to come and deface it ostensibly to communicate their disgust about the ivory trade is totally unacceptable. We can easily have a sign stating our stand on ivory trade but defacing it is not right."

He said there were better ways for people to picket or say what they are against.

Mombasa's tusks are one of the city’s best-known landmarks. They were built to commemorate Queen Elizabeth’s visit to Mombasa in 1952. Ivory symbolises luxury and it was an exquisite commodity at the time.

Constructed of aluminium, the tusks mark the entrance to the heart of the city and many new visitors make a stop there to take photos.

The intersecting tusks also form the letter “M” for Mombasa.

The incident comes as the world marks the Word Animal Day today, a day set to celebrate animal life in all its forms and humankind’s relationship with the animal kingdom.