67 Children Lost on Mombasa Beach Celebrate Reunion With Family

On Christmas Day, at Jomo Kenyatta Public Beach in Mombasa County, a distressing incident unfolded for 67 children who became separated from their families amidst the vibrant beach festivities.

Affectionately known as 'Pirates' Beach, this popular destination draws locals on weekends and public holidays, and the Christmas holiday was certainly no exception. As visitors from various parts of the country joined the festivities, the beach became a lively hub of merriment. Lost in the crowds, these 67 children were fortunate to encounter kind-hearted individuals who swiftly stepped in to assist in their search for parents and guardians.

Aisha Hussein, the Kenya Red Cross Mombasa Coordinator, recounts the incident, explaining that the children were brought to the Kenya Red Cross surveillance booth. Here, a public address system became the beacon to reach out to worried parents. By evening, all 67 children were successfully reunited with their families. Aisha Hussein underscores the importance of parental responsibility for children's safety, especially if they plan to venture into the ocean.

She recommends ensuring that children are under the care of someone with their contact information, fostering a sense of security amid festive chaos. For some of these youngsters, it was their first visit to the beach, and the unexpected experience of being momentarily lost left them with a mix of emotions. Aisha says their responsibility in contact tracing entails identifying and resolving such incidents.

The beach was closed to the public after 8 pm, once the last group of children had been reunited with their families. From 6 am to 6 pm, the beach remains accessible to all, with emergency response officers from multiple agencies available to handle any unforeseen circumstances. With the approaching New Year celebrations, it is anticipated that the number of people flocking to public beaches will rise.