Mombasa Businessman Faces Police Probe Over Threats to Activist

Hamon Nyakundi, a prominent Mombasa businessman and managing director of Go-Green Garbage Collectors, finds himself at the center of a brewing storm.

The contractor, whose firm was hired by the Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) to manage waste collection across KPA estates in Mombasa, is now under police scrutiny following allegations that he threatened a human rights activist who exposed his company’s illegal activities.

The controversy erupted after the activist lodged a formal complaint at Makupa Police Station on February 14, 2025, under OB number 043, claiming his life was in danger.

The whistleblower accused Nyakundi of making verbal threats over the phone, a reaction allegedly triggered by a letter sent to the businessman on February 11.

The letter accused Go-Green Garbage Collectors of unlawfully dumping waste in residential areas, specifically at Block JA within the KPA High Level estate—an area not designated for waste disposal by the Mombasa County government.

“Your company disposed of waste and garbage at the same place, which is unlawful and contrary to the Waste Management Regulations of 2005 under EMCA 1999 and Mombasa County by-laws,” the activist wrote in the letter.

The document also demanded that Nyakundi’s firm provide a valid license from the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) authorizing waste transportation and disposal, giving the company a three-day ultimatum to comply.

Nyakundi’s response was swift and furious. According to the activist’s police statement, the businessman called immediately after receiving the letter, hurling insults and threats. “He called me a conman and a gun for hire,” the whistleblower reported, adding that Nyakundi’s tone suggested a clear intent to intimidate.

The activist’s claims paint a picture of a contractor rattled by the accusations and unwilling to tolerate scrutiny.

The businessman’s legal team wasted no time escalating the rhetoric.

In a letter dated February 12, 2025, signed by Collins Ondeng of Mutisya Mwanza and Advocates, Nyakundi’s lawyer dismissed the activist as “a busy body, hoodlum, and idle character peddling rumors and defamatory statements” against their client.

The letter further argued that the whistleblower had no authority to act as a regulatory or licensing body, accusing him of masquerading as a human rights defender with ulterior motives.

Not content to leave the matter in the hands of his lawyer, Nyakundi took his own steps, filing a counter-report at Central Police Station on February 13 under OB number 24.

When approached by a local newspaper for comment, Nyakundi was dismissive and combative. Answering the phone with palpable arrogance, he brushed off the activist’s letter as a “fake and forged demand” designed to extort him. “This is just an attempt to con me,” he snapped before abruptly ending the call.

The activist’s allegations, however, are not without substance.

Eyewitness accounts corroborate claims that Go-Green Garbage Collectors’ trucks have been spotted dumping waste at undesignated sites within the KPA High Level estate.

The incident on February 11, observed at around 1:15 p.m., has fueled concerns about the contractor’s compliance with environmental regulations—a matter now likely to draw the attention of both NEMA and Mombasa County authorities.

Nyakundi’s troubles are compounded by whispers of a broader pattern of behavior.

According to news reports, anonymous sources have described him as a “rogue contractor” with a history of intimidating detractors.

A licensed gun holder, Nyakundi is said to boast of having senior security officers in Mombasa “in his pocket,” a claim that, if substantiated, could raise serious questions about accountability in the region’s waste management contracts.