A Kenyan man in the seaside city of Mombasa reportedly set himself on fire in protest against the astronomical costs of living in the East African country.

The man lit himself on fire after ascending a statue amid a busy roundabout on Thursday afternoon.

The man was seen in a viral video clutching the Kenyan flag, shouting and a second later, a massive flame engulfed him.

Witnesses assisted in putting out the fire and rushed him to the nearby Coast General Teaching and Referral Hospital for treatment, according to media reports.

The unidentified man had told onlookers that he was protesting against the high cost of living and last year’s presidential election outcome, in which Raila Odinga lost to President William Ruto. The victory was affirmed in court, and Mr Odinga’s charges of irregularities were rejected.

In the past few weeks, dozens of people have died in Kenya due to police crackdowns on large-scale demonstrations calling for election reforms and an end to inflation.