A study of the pronunciation of an adult male Swahili speaker, a native and long-term resident of Mombasa Old Town, supplemented with notes on other adult speakers, suggests a new account of glides and phonological change in this variation of the language. The asymmetrical distribution of the two glide types (palatal and labiovelar) is analyzed and compared to an analysis of Comorean. One interpretation is that the palatal glide has in many cases lost its autonomous status, its palatal component being redistributed over the associated consonant. A parallel phenomenon in the case of the other glide is proposed. The complex phonetics of the Mombasan variety are outlined. Evidence suggesting that this situation reflects a historical development in Mombasan Swahili is presented briefly. An 11-item bibliography is included. (MSE)