KHALID: Where have the private parts gone?

If one were to believe the latest stories making the rounds in Mombasa and across the Coast region, then walking through the streets has suddenly become one of the most dangerous activities for men.

Not because of armed robbers, reckless drivers or pickpockets, but because apparently a simple handshake or a friendly tap on the shoulder can cause a grown man to lose his private parts.

Indeed, in recent weeks, men across Kisauni, Kongowea and Markiti areas of Mombasa County have raised alarm claiming that their manhood mysteriously disappeared moments after being greeted by strangers. Similar allegations have also emerged from Malindi in Kilifi county and Diani in Kwale county.

For many Coast residents, it has become a frightening tale. For others, it has become a source of endless jokes. One can hardly walk into a restaurant, matatu stage or barber shop without hearing men discussing protective strategies. Some have reportedly abandoned handshakes altogether. Others now inspect themselves immediately after greeting strangers. A few have become so suspicious that they treat every innocent passerby as a potential “private parts thief”.

If the situation were not so dangerous, it would almost be comedy material. However, beneath the laughter lies a very troubling reality.

These allegations have sparked public fury and panic, leading to several incidents of mob justice. Individuals accused of stealing private parts have been chased, beaten and humiliated by angry crowds. In Mombasa, at least one person has reportedly lost his life after being attacked by a mob over such accusations. The question that every reasonable person must ask is simple: where is the evidence?

VOCAL Africa has closely followed these incidents and engaged security authorities regarding the allegations. The information we have received paints a very different picture from the stories circulating on social media and in public spaces. According to security authorities and medical personnel consulted on the matter, there has not been a single medically confirmed case of a person permanently losing his genital organs after being touched, greeted or brushed against by another individual. Not one.

In fact, authorities have already charged at least two individuals who falsely claimed that their organs had been stolen. Security officials further indicate that some of these incidents are orchestrated by criminal gangs whose objective is not to steal body parts but rather to create confusion and incite mobs. Once the crowd becomes distracted and emotions run high, accomplices take advantage of the chaos to rob unsuspecting members of the public. This explanation makes far more sense than the supernatural claims being circulated.

Unfortunately, social media has become a powerful vehicle for spreading misinformation. Videos are shared without verification. Voice notes are forwarded without evidence. Rumours travel faster than facts. Within minutes, entire communities become convinced that a crime has occurred even before any investigation is conducted.

Even more worrying is the role some religious leaders have played in fuelling the hysteria. Several pastors and sheikhs have publicly claimed that after praying for alleged victims, their missing organs mysteriously returned. While faith plays an important role in society and many people derive comfort from prayer, extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence. If someone genuinely lost an organ and later recovered it, medical professionals should be able to verify such an occurrence. To date, no such medical confirmation exists.

As a society, we must be careful not to replace evidence with speculation or allow fear to override common sense. History teaches us that moral panic often creates more victims than the alleged crime itself. Innocent people are profiled. Strangers become targets. Communities become suspicious of one another. Before long, the real danger is no longer the rumoured crime but the violence unleashed by those reacting to it.

The Constitution of Kenya guarantees every person the right to life, dignity and security. These rights do not disappear simply because a crowd believes a rumour. No citizen deserves to be assaulted, tortured or killed based on allegations that have not been investigated and proven.

At the same time, those who deliberately manufacture false claims should also be held accountable. If indeed some criminal gangs are using these accusations to confuse crowds and facilitate theft, then their actions are not only dishonest but criminal. Exploiting public fear for personal gain endangers lives and undermines public safety.

The Coast region is already grappling with genuine challenges, including unemployment, poverty and rising economic pressures. Communities need solutions to these real problems, not manufactured fears that pit neighbour against neighbour. Kenyans must therefore remain vigilant and refuse to become easy prey for gangs of criminals, hooligans, tricksters and con artists who thrive on fear and confusion. The public should be especially cautious whenever dramatic allegations are made in crowded places.

Criminals understand the psychology of mobs. They know that once panic erupts, people stop thinking rationally. In that confusion, innocent people can be attacked while the real criminals quietly disappear into the crowd after stealing phones, wallets and other valuables. Times may indeed be hard. Economic challenges may be everywhere.

However, hardship can never justify working in gangs to falsely accuse innocent people, spread panic or manipulate communities for criminal purposes. Equally, economic frustrations should never be used as an excuse for taking the law into one’s own hands.

The public must remain vigilant against misinformation merchants and criminal opportunists. Every allegation should be subjected to scrutiny and every suspect should be handed over to the police rather than to an angry mob. Justice can only be administered through the law, not through fists, stones and lynch mobs.

A society governed by rumours soon becomes a society governed by fear, and a society governed by fear inevitably becomes a society where innocent people suffer. The next time someone claims that his private parts vanished after a handshake, perhaps the first response should not be to form a mob. Instead, let us seek evidence, consult medical professionals and allow the law to take its course.

After all, facts are far more reliable than panic, and justice is far more civilised than mob violence.

Executive director, VOCAL Africa