Mombasa tusks
The Mombasa tusks, also referred to as Mapemba ya Ndovu[1] or Pembe za Ndovu (Swahili for elephant tusks),[2] form a monument over Moi Avenue, a major thoroughfare in Mombasa, Kenya. Built in the 1950s to commemorate visits by the British royal family, the monument originally comprised two wooden structures resembling tusks; nowadays, there are four aluminium tusks in an M shape. The monument is under the jurisdiction of the National Museums of Kenya in addition to the city's municipal government.
Origin
The Mombasa tusks were originally constructed in 1952 by the British administration of the
Later history
Since then, the white tusks have been repainted several times by
On 3 October 2014, the monument was defaced with graffiti and red paint, reading "Mombasa Not 4 Ivory Export".
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j Ahmed, Mohamed (7 July 2019). "Symbolic tusks erected in 1952 to celebrate Queen Elizabeth's visit". Daily Nation. Nation Media Group. Archived from the original on 8 October 2020. Retrieved 10 December 2021.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Gacheri, Jayne Rose (22 August 2021). "The story behind the tusks of Mombasa". The Standard. Archived from the original on 3 November 2021. Retrieved 10 December 2021.
- ^ a b Mbaria, John (3 October 2014). "Defacing of tusks a statement against ivory trade". Daily Nation. Nation Media Group. Archived from the original on 10 December 2021. Retrieved 10 December 2021.
- ^ a b Mwangi, Wachira (3 October 2014). "Mombasa's iconic tusks smeared with red paint, graffiti". Daily Nation. Nation Media Group. Archived from the original on 10 December 2021. Retrieved 10 December 2021.