Likoni - Thousands of people fled from Kenya's Indian Ocean city of Mombasa yesterday, fearing attacks and a police crackdown ordered by President Daniel arap Moi. The civilians, both coastal natives and "upcountry" Kenyans originally from other areas, left at least six villages in Kwale district south of Mombasa, piling into ferries, buses and taxis.
Mombasa District Commissioner Paul Olando told residents of the poor Mombasa suburb of Likoni that the government would not victimise innocent people during its operation to recover more than 40 guns stolen by attackers from the police. He said the exodus was provoked by panic because of rumours.
Kenya's reform lobby, in open defiance of the government, yesterday set up a "provisional constituent assembly" to draft a more democratic constitution for the country and vowed to intensify mass action. Mr arap Moi met an International Monetary Fund mission for talks expected to be dominated by the problems of high-level graft and bad governance.