[Onthebarricades] KENYA: Protests and repression, before and after the main crisis

[Andy]

*  Stahere:  voting in disarray as police teargas count
*  Clashes at polling station over rigging claims
*  Rivals clash at Kibaki rally
*  Police ban opposition rallies in various cities, use crisis as pretext 
for repression
*  Police kill two during poll protests
*  Police attack opposition demos in Mombasa
*  Opposition defy repression to continue protests
*  Rally called off after police start running battles; road blocked
*  Running battles in Nairobi as police attack marchers trying to reach 
rally
*  Protesters scatter and regroup for battle as police attack in Mombasa, 
Kisumu and Migori
*  "Million Man March" called and attacked by police
*  Nairobi slum hit by clashes with police, attacks among residents as 
police attack even the most peaceful protesters
*  Banned rally goes ahead in Nairobi
*  Cabinet appointment sparks new unrest as killings reach 500
*  Opposition leader cancels rally to meet mediators
*  Death toll reaches 700; fresh rallies ahead

http://allafrica.com/stories/200712290010.html

Kenya: Violence Rocks Starehe Constituency

The East African Standard (Nairobi)

29 December 2007
Posted to the web 29 December 2007

Joseph Murimi
Nairobi

Vote tallying in Starehe constituency, Nairobi, was thrown into disarray 
when riot police lobbed teargas canisters in the counting hall.

The tallied results had shown a neck-to-neck race between Sports minister Mr 
Maina Kamanda and ODM candidate, Bishop Margaret Wanjiru.

Several ballot boxes were broken and ballot papers thrown all over the Kenya 
Polytechnic counting hall as poll officials, observers, journalists and 
party agents scampered for safety.

In the ensuing chaos, several people, including a police officer, were 
injured and many lost their personal effects.

Wanjiru was caught up in the chaos but her bodyguards shielded her from 
harm.

Tallying for 17 out of the 22 polling stations had been completed, and only 
five were remaining when the chaos erupted.

Trouble began on Friday afternoon when Wanjiru's supporters claimed a plan 
to rig the elections was afoot.

The bishop then wrote a petition that was read by a supporter, calling for 
nullification of the results.

But the returning officer, a Mugasia, asked the bishop to follow the right 
channels of registering her protest.

Tension mounted, and rival groups started shouting at each other. Mugasia 
then ordered supporters of the candidates who had jammed the hall to be 
kicked out by security officers.

Moments later, riot police stormed in and lobbed teargas canisters, 
dispersing everyone including the ECK officials and Wanjiru.

After the chaos, ECK district co-ordinator, Ms Rita Mwera, ordered the 
broken boxes be reconstructed and tallying to continue.

Police maintained a tight cordon around the hall as pro-ODM youths spoilt 
for a fight from a distance.

http://allafrica.com/stories/200712290042.html

Kenya: Chaos Erupts Over Rigging Claims

The Nation (Nairobi)

29 December 2007
Posted to the web 29 December 2007

Nairobi

Chaos broke out at Shauri Moyo Social Hall in Kamukunji constituency when 
rival candidates clashed during the counting of votes from one station.

Mr Ibrahim Ahmed of ODM clashed with the agents and supporters of his rivals 
in PNU over alleged rigging at a polling centre in Zawadi Primary School. 
Three ballot boxes were said to have been stuffed with marked ballot papers.

Mr Ahmed said he would not accept the results, claiming they were interfered 
with.

Mr Simon Mbugua of PNU was quiet as pandemonium broke out in the hall.

A civic aspirant, Mr Silvanus Amondi of Eastleigh South also complained that 
some party agents and officials were compromised by his rivals to interfere 
with the results. He claimed that some of his agents had not even showed up 
after allegedly being bribed.

Voting went on until 8pm in most polling centres, especially in Eastleigh 
Social Hall. It was not until 11pm that counting of votes begun. The area 
was chaotic all through and anti-riot police were called in to beef up 
security.

In Lang'ata constituency, ballot boxes for the area began arriving at Nyayo 
Stadium for final tallying way past midnight.

ECK officials accompanied by political parties' agents ferried them in from 
several polling stations throughout the night.

And even by 7.30am Friday, some ballot boxes were yet to arrive.

Actual tallying began minutes past 1pm. The delay is suspected to have been 
caused by technical hitches experienced during the voting on Thursday.

ODM presidential candidate Raila Odinga was among voters whose names were 
missing from the polling register.

By Friday morning, only votes from seven stations had been tallied and Mr 
Odinga was leading with about 15,250 against Mr Stanley Livondo's 1,600.

In Kasarani constituency, an ECK official was seized by police officers at 
the Moi International Sports Centre - Kasarani - over attempted vote 
rigging.

Ballot boxes

The presiding officer for Githurai Primary School polling station was 
arrested after she attempted to sneak in six ballot boxes in the 
station.Relevant Links

Witnesses told the Nation that the officer had also frustrated voters by 
denying them ample time to vote.

"She closed down the polling centre before many of us could vote," said one 
of the voters.

Reports by Sam Kiplagat, Daniel Wesangula, Dave Opiyo, Sheila Naturinda and 
Jevans Nyabiage

http://allafrica.com/stories/200712051105.html

Kenya: Chaos, Booing At Kibaki Rally As Rivals Clash

The East African Standard (Nairobi)

6 December 2007
Posted to the web 5 December 2007

Cyrus Kinyungu And Biketi Kikechi
Nairobi

Riot police tear-gassed rival youths of two Cabinet ministers on a day 
President Kibaki came face-to-face with the ugly side of local politics - 
violence and heckling.

But the bitter rivalry between PNU politicians, Dr Mukhisa Kituyi and Mr 
Musikari Kombo, could not have peaked on a worse moment with the campaigns 
entering a critical stage in a province where ODM poses a real threat.

Kibaki's frustration and pain were evident when TV footage showed him 
leaving his seat to calm down a heckling and rowdy crowd.

He did this to save Kituyi from further humiliation and enable the former 
Kimilili MP address a rally in his own turf.

"Vitu gani hivi mnafanya? Hivi ni vitu vya kitoto. Mnapoteza muda wetu kwa 
kupiga kelele. Hiyo ni kelele tu hakuna kitu mnafanya," the President told 
the crowd as an embarrassed Vice-President, Mr Moody Awori, who had spent 
the better part of the morning trying to placate the feuding factions, 
watched pensively.

When he finally got a chance to speak - at least briefly before heckling 
again disrupted his speech - Kituyi said: "Wageni wasio na nidhamu 
tutawafunza nidhamu." (We will teach indisciplined visitors manners).

Earlier, atop the dais and in full view of the rowdy crowd, Kituyi and Kombo 
squared up to each other with the VP trying to make peace between them.

Kituyi's camp is angry because even though he got a direct nomination to 
defend his seat on a PNU (New Ford-Kenya) ticket, Kombo fielded a Ford-Kenya 
candidate, Dr Simiyu Eseli, to fight it out with the minister.

Sporadic fights

Tension was evident as early as Tuesday evening when supporters of the two 
ministers engaged in sporadic fights.

On Wednesday, fighting broke out at 6am, about four hours before Kibaki's 
arrival as Kituyi's supporters battled followers of Ford-Kenya's Eseli.

PNU posters along the way to Amutala Stadium, the venue of the rally, were 
torn as rival groups tried to outdo each other. Police had to fire teargas 
to break up the fighting.

Kituyi's arrival was greeted with cheers from his supporters, while hundreds 
of youths wearing Ford Kenya T-shirts jeered him.

Minutes before Kibaki arrived, Awori found himself on the wrong side of the 
conflict as he tried to chant Kibaki Tena, Kituyi Tena.

Kombo supporters openly protested, heightening tension. This prompted the VP 
to go to Ford-Kenya supporters to plead for calm. It was at this point that 
he was overheard asking the surging crowd to re-elect Kibaki, but decide who 
their next MP should be.

But Kombo did not take this lying down and confronted Awori over the 
remarks. The situation calmed down when Kibaki arrived, only to erupt again 
after some former MPs took to the stage.

First to be heckled was former Kanduyi MP, Mr Wafula Wamunyinyi, when he 
said PNU nominations in Kimilili were flawed.

Wamunyinyi was at pains to explain why Ford-Kenya fielded a candidate and 
cited the decision to award Kituyi a direct nomination.

Equally under siege was Kombo, who was also jeered by a group shouting: 
"Traitor! Traitor!"

Invoked Muliro and Wamalwa

Unruffled, Kombo carried on with his speech: "Endihe muvolela mukubile ekura 
emundu wa Ford-Kenya chigila engovi ya Muliro nende Wamalwa eli muno mu 
Kimilili (I'm urging you to vote for the Ford-Kenya candidate because the 
placentas of (Masinde) Muliro and (Kijana) Wamalwa - both deceased - are 
here in Kimilili), he said.

Standing on either side of the dais, the two groups welcomed friendly 
leaders with cheers and jeered those they felt were unfriendly.

The two ministers walked out of the dais and each headed for the corner 
where his supporters stood and tried to calm them.

The VP's greetings of PNU were greeted with shouts of "Kibaki Tena" by 
Kituyi's supporters, but "Ford Kenya" by the latter's supporters.

Eventually, he pulled aside the two politicians and walked with them out of 
the grounds where they discussed the issue as they waited for the President.

When he finally addressed the rally, Kibaki said his rivals had no chance of 
defeating his coalition of more than 10 parties.

http://allafrica.com/stories/200801070468.html

Kenya: Police Boss Firm Over ODM Rallies

The East African Standard (Nairobi)

7 January 2008
Posted to the web 7 January 2008

Cyrus Ombati
Nairobi

The Government has outlawed rallies ODM has planned at various venues.

Police Commissioner Maj-Gen Hussein Ali on Sunday said no public rally would 
be allowed and accused the opposition party of ulterior motives.

ODM plans to hold a rallies at Uhuru Park, Nairobi, and other venues today 
and tomorrow to push for new elections following President Kibaki's victory 
in the disputed December 27 polls.

Police have cancelled three previous rallies and dispersed ODM supporters 
trying to make their way into the venues in Nairobi, Mombasa and Kisumu.

Police officers continue to man most venues where party supporters were 
expected to meet.

On Sunday, more officers were deployed at Nyayo Stadium and Uhuru Park in 
Nairobi.

The officers, in riot gear, prevented the public from accessing the 
places.Relevant Links

Uhuru Park has been under police guard for the past week, and the opposition 
has been making unsuccessful efforts to enter it.

Ali said campaigns ended before the General Election and asked politicians 
to engage in development.

"As I said earlier, no rally will be allowed for now," he said.

http://allafrica.com/stories/200712310340.html

Kenya: Two Killed, Several Wounded in Protests Over Poll Results

The Nation (Nairobi)

30 December 2007
Posted to the web 31 December 2007

Nairobi

Two people were killed, several others wounded and property worth millions 
of shillings destroyed during violent protests across the country over delay 
in release of presidential poll results.

In Homa Bay town, a man was shot by unknown people as he and others 
protested the delay in announcing the winner of the presidential election.

He was taken to Pastor Machage Hospital in Migori where he died.

Another man was shot in Kakamega as police moved in to disperse 
demonstrators.

Polycarp Munzala, 24, was shot in the right leg as anti-riot police charged 
at ODM youths who were marching in the streets.

Two vehicles were burnt at Maraba estate by rioters.

The vehicle belonging to assistant minister Bonny Khalwale was stoned.

In Kisumu, looters rampaged along Oginga Odinga Street leaving behind a 
trail of destruction.

What had begun as a peaceful demonstration to demand that the Electoral 
Commission of Kenya declares the presidential winner turned ugly as the 
protesters turned to looting merchandise from supermarkets and shops in the 
town.

General Service Unit police who were sent to restore order fired tear gas to 
disperse the rioters.

Protesters set ablaze Ukwala Supermarket and Kimwa Hotel, a popular stopping 
place on Kisumu-Kakamega road.

Carrying twigs and branches, the demonstrators blocked all major routes by 
burning tyres on roads leading in and out of Kisumu.

They threatened to march on the Kisumu State Lodge if the election are 
rigged.

The situation was similar in Nyando district as residents took to the 
streets in Chemelil to protest.

Similar protests took place in Bondo, Siaya, Ahero and Sondu townships as 
angry demonstrators accused the Government of trying to manipulate results 
in favour of the incumbent.

Rioters engaged police in running battles and paralysed business operations. 
Most people stayed indoors for fear of being attacked.

In Bungoma, a man was shot and seriously injured as police moved in to 
disperse hundreds of ODM supporters.

Mr Ramadhan Isabuko, 20, was shot on the left hand and sustained serious 
injuries. Good Samaritans rushed him to a nearby clinic for first aid.

Mr Isabuko, who sat his Form Four exams this year at Kabula Secondary 
School, told the Nation he was shot by a policeman while at home as he watch 
the rioting mob nearby.

A nurse at the clinic said the patient had sustained a fracture and referred 
the case to Bungoma District Hospital.

Anti-riot officers led by Bungoma police boss Thomas Matano opened fire to 
disperse the protesters.

The rioters lit bonfires, barricaded roads and blocked the bus park to stop 
public service vehicles and commuters from using the facility.

The riots spread to Chwele and Kimilili townships where traders closed their 
businesses for fear of looting.

Elsewhere, rioters burnt property of unknown value in Busia town as they 
demanded immediate release of poll results.

They engaged police in running battles and razed two hotels - Shark Lodge 
and Paradise Lodge.

The rowdy youths chanting ODM slogans also lit bonfires along the usually 
busy Kisumu-Busia highway using old tyres and plundered from kiosks within 
the town.

The rioters also blocked the highway using boulders and logs, making the 
town a no-go-zone.

Motorists caught in the melee were frisked for money and other valuables.

Busia police boss Paul Kariuki led his officers in firing several shots in 
the air to disperse the mob who were armed with stones and clubs.

A number of people, including Nation journalist, Mr Ouma Wanzala, were 
injured during the confrontation which started at 8 am and ran into the 
afternoon.

Chaos also rocked Kericho town following the ECK's delay in announcing 
results for presidential candidates.

Rioters razed two residential houses at Nyagatho and Baraka estates within 
Kericho town.

And at the Kericho Caltex Station, an irate crowd set on fire a giant 
campaign billboard of President Kibaki where they also stoned several 
motorists.

Small traders who usually sell roasted maize and groundnuts at the busy bus 
were attacked and scampered for safety.

Two children were left stranded by the road side during the chaos and their 
parents could not immediately be established.

The rioting youths proceeded to Kenyatta Street in the centre of Kericho 
town where they lit tyre bonfires and burnt four kiosks. Shopkeepers who had 
opened their businesses hurriedly closed them for fear of looting.

At Litein town in Bureti district, youths set tyres on fire along the 
Kericho-Sotik highway before police dispersed them after lobbing several 
tear gas canisters.

Several public service vehicles plying the Kericho-Kisumu route had to cut 
short their journey at Awasi after their windscreens were shattered by 
rioters.

A cross-section of leaders from Kericho and Bureti districts called for 
calm, urging residents that the delay in announcing results of presidential 
candidates should not be used as an excuse to destroy property and lives.

Ainamoi MP-elect David Too (ODM), his Belgut counterpart Charles Keter and 
Jonathan Langat (Kipkelion) asked the public to restrain themselves.

Said Mr Too: "We are all Kenyans regardless of our political party 
affiliations and we must keep cool as the results trickle in."

He was supported by Mr Langat who asked the residents not to take the law 
into their hands.

"Both winners and losers in these elections need peace to deliver on their 
campaign pledges," he said.Relevant Links

In Litein, the rowdy youths piled stones at the trading centre and blocked 
the Litein-Kericho road, making the town a no-go-zone. Police used tear gas 
canisters to disperse the youths.

By late afternoon, the police used bare hands to remove the boulders left on 
the road by the fleeing youths.

Reported by Benard Kwalia, Benson Amadala, Elisha Otieno, Walter Menya, 
Michael Oongo, John Onyango, Sollo Kiragu and Geoffrey Rono

http://allafrica.com/stories/200801070195.html

Kenya: Police Break Up Another ODM Demo

The Nation (Nairobi)

6 January 2008
Posted to the web 7 January 2008

Nairobi

Anti-riot police on Saturday morning dispersed a protest march by ODM 
supporters in Mombasa town for the second day running.

The demonstrators led by six MPs-elect from Coast Province were protesting 
against the outcome of the recent presidential election.

They began their march outside Sakina Mosque but ran into anti-riot police 
on Jomo Kenyatta Avenue.

Mombasa police boss Mr Wilfred Mbithi asked them to disperse before an 
argument ensued between him and the MPs-elect Mr Najib Balala (Mvita), Mr 
Ali Hassan Joho (Kisauni), Mr Benedict Gunda (Kaloleni), Mr Amason Kingi 
(Magarini), Mr Dan Mwaazo (Voi) and Mr Gedion Mung'aro (Malindi).

The leaders argued that the demonstration was peaceful and demanded that 
their supporters to be allowed to express their annoyance with the results 
of the presidential election.

Mr Balala said tthe police could not bar them from going ahead with their 
demonstration since it was their constitutional right. Mr Mbithi did not 
budge.

The police cordoned off the area and asked the marchers to disperse, saying 
they had not sought a licence for the demonstration.

Later, the leaders agreed to postpone the demonstration to Monday. They 
attempted to make their way to Makupa police station to notify the station 
boss, with their supporters chanting anti-government slogans.

But anti-riot police jumped out of lorries at that stage and lobbed teargas 
canisters at the protesters, forcing them to disperse in different 
directions.

However, managed to drive to Makupa police station, where Mr Balala 
presented a notification for tomorrow's planned demonstration, which was not 
accepted by the police chief.

Elsewhere, a group of women chanting anti-government slogans in the town 
were also dispersed by police.

The group under the auspices of Coast Women for Raila (COWERA) had earlier 
held a press conference at a Mombasa hotel to express their dissatisfaction 
with the results of the just concluded General Election.

The women had walked out of a meeting at the residence of former Ganjoni 
Councilor Margaret Olang to the streets when the Central Police Station 
chief confronted them and ordered them to disperse.

Led by their chairlady Khadija Ms Swaleh, the group said they were in 
solidarity with the ODM leaders in what they said was their quest for 
justice and truth. They also called for an end to the current wave of 
violence across the country.Relevant Links

And former Kibwezi MP Mr Kalembe Ndile yesterday to appealed to youths to 
desist from being used by politicians to engage in violence.

Mr Ndile said most of the property being destroyed by rioters belonged to 
poor people who did not have money to invest in new businesses.

"My appeal to all the aggrieved parties is that they should embrace dialogue 
in resolving this matter instead of engaging in violence," he said.

http://allafrica.com/stories/200801071739.html

Kenya: Police Disperse Mombasa Demo

The Nation (Nairobi)

8 January 2008
Posted to the web 7 January 2008

Nairobi

A mid-morning lull in the streets of Mombasa was on Monday shattered when 
police clashed with about 60 peaceful demonstrators, most of them women.

The group led by Kisauni MP-elect Hassan Ali Joho, sang songs in praise of 
ODM leader Raila Odinga. They started their peace march at Kwa Shibu Mosque 
and had walked for about one kilometre when riot police led by Mombasa OCPD 
Wilfred Mbithi blocked them.

The police lobbed two tear gas canisters at the demonstrators, sending them 
scampering in different directions.Relevant Links

Mr Mbithi told Mr Joho to call off the demonstration because it was illegal, 
but Mr Joho did not budge. The OCPD said no demonstrations are allowed until 
the situation in the country returns to normal.

However as the police boss and Mr Joho exchanged words, the crowd continued 
chanting pro-ODM slogans.

Business on the busy Digo Road was briefly disrupted but after a short while 
shops re-opened and business resumed as usual.

http://allafrica.com/stories/200801070117.html

Kenya: Protests Continue to Rock Mombasa for Second Day

The East African Standard (Nairobi)

6 January 2008
Posted to the web 7 January 2008

Ngumbao Kithi And Khadija Yusuf
Mombasa

ODM supporters engaged anti-riot police in running battles for the second 
day in Mombasa.

This was after Pentagon member, Mr Najib Balala, and 12 MPs-elect tried to 
present a notification for a rally at Makupa Police Station.


The police lobed tear gas canisters to disperse the demonstrators 
accompanying ODM leaders.

As the confusion ensued, business premises were hurriedly closed as bank 
guards took positions.

Before the police dispersed the crowd, the leaders exchanged bitter words 
with the OCS, Mr Leonard Baraza, on their intention to hold a rally on 
Monday.

But Baraza refused to acknowledge the notification.

"I cannot receive this notification, if you want one come alone later 
without supporters outside," Baraza told them.

Balala, however, said they would go ahead with the rally.

"Listen Bwana OCS, we are here only to notify you that we are going to have 
a meeting on Monday and what we need from you is security," Balala said.

But Baraza said he was under no obligation to receive the letter and threw 
it away under his table.

The demonstrators were denied entrance at the station as armed police 
officers secured the main gate.

The letter read in part: "Notification of a peaceful demonstration on 
January 7, along Mombasa streets."

The MPs-elect then walked out of the office and vowed to conduct the rally 
on Monday.

And for the first time, the demonstrators were mainly women, calling 
themselves the "Orange Women Democrats" and several members of the Coast 
human rights network.

Earlier, police had broken up a peaceful Muslim demonstration, demanding 
that President Kibaki resigns.

Led by Balala, the demonstrators met outside Sakina Mosque for the 
demonstration.

Unlike Friday, the demonstration was attended by ODM MPs-elect, Mr Gideon 
Mung'aro (Malindi), Mr Dan Mwazo (Voi) Mr Ben Gunda (Bahari) and Mr 
Jefferson Kingi (Magarini).

The leaders held hands and walked for 100m when police led by Mombasa OCPD, 
Mr Wilfred Mbithi, confronted them.Relevant Links

Mbithi warned them that the demonstration was not licensed.

Balala, however, said they did not need a permit under the 1997 IPPG 
agreement and were only leading their supporters in a peaceful demonstration 
against the flawed presidential polls.

"Please address your supporters now and then go to Makupa and apply for a 
permit to hold a rally. I believe the OCS will grant you one instead of 
acting illegally," the OCPD told him.

http://www.voanews.com/english/2008-01-02-voa47.cfm

Kenya's Opposition to Hold Banned Protest Rally
By Nick Wadhams
Nairobi
02 January 2008

Kenya's opposition leaders have vowed to go ahead with a massive rally in 
downtown Nairobi to protest what they say was the fraudulent re-election of 
President Mwai Kibaki. The government has said the demonstration, set for 
Thursday, will not be allowed to proceed, and the standoff threatens to 
spark a new wave of violence. Nick Wadhams has the story for VOA from 
Nairobi.

Opposition supporters hold machetes and crude weapons next to a poster of 
opposition leader Raila Odinga during riots in the Mathare slum in Nairobi, 
2 Jan 2008

The ethnic fighting that has wracked Kenya in recent days appeared to ease 
slightly on Wednesday, although clashes continued in some of Nairobi's 
slums. In areas that were calm, Kenyans emerged from their homes to shop 
ahead of tomorrow's demonstration.

Mr. Kibaki appears to be at a deadlock with his opposition rival, Raila 
Odinga of the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM).  On Wednesday, Mr. Odinga 
met with top aides and ODM lawmakers to plan strategy for the coming days.

After the meeting, ODM Secretary-General Anyang Nyong'o emerged with Mr. 
Odinga and told reporters that the opposition group's position has not 
changed: Mr. Kibaki must step down, and the rally would go ahead.

"The ODM reiterates our commitment to the nullification of the purported 
election of Kibaki as president, the restoration of peace by full 
recognition of the honorable Raila Amolo Odinga as the democratically 
elected president of the republic of Kenya and hence the return of 
democratic governance in our republic," he said.

Raila Odinga gives a press conference in Nairobi, 31 Dec 2007

Police officials now say at least 200 people have been killed in the 
violence that erupted after Odinga supporters began to protest what they 
said was evidence of vote rigging by Mr. Kibaki's team. The European Union's 
electoral mission here has said the polls did not meet international 
standards, and it has called for an investigation.

Many of the dead have been protesters killed by police firing into crowds. 
On Tuesday, some 30 people were killed when an angry mob torched a church in 
western Kenya where people were seeking refuge from the violence.

Kenyan President Mwai Kibaki, 12 Dec. 2007

In Nairobi, some people in the slums say it is time for peace, and that poor 
Kenyans must stop fighting each other. ODM Chairman Nyong'o said that can 
only be achieved if Mr. Odinga is named president.

"Peace cannot be realized in Kenya without justice," he added.  "The mass 
action is to let it be known that people want peaceful mass action to call 
for justice, which shall be a necessary condition for us to get on with our 
lives."

Some in the international community have suggested a government of national 
unity could offer a solution. Others argue that Mr. Odinga should take his 
claims to court.

Both Mr. Kibaki and Mr. Odinga have said they will not share power, and the 
courts are seen as largely corrupt and inefficient.

http://politics.nationmedia.com/inner.asp?sid=1197

Protest rally put off
By NATION Team
Last updated: Thu, Jan 03, 2008 16:04 PM (EAT)

The Orange Democratic Movement has put off its protest rally to tomorrow 
after hours of running battles with the police in Nairobi.

Three people have been reported dead, a church and two petrol stations set 
ablaze and five cars torched in the chaos visited on the capital city.

A team of top leaders from the party aborted their march to the rally 
planned for Uhuru Park after a contingent of riot police blocked their way 
at Hurlingham area, about two kilometres away.

The party had earlier announced that their next protest rally will be on 
Tuesday next week, but later changed the date to tomorrow.

The leaders in the march included Musalia Mudavadi, William Ruto, Najib 
Balala, Charity Ngilu, Anyang' Nyong'o among others. Their presidential 
candidate, Mr Raila Odinga was not in the march.


The AIC church in Kibera was torched while a petrol station and five cars 
have been set ablaze along the city's Juja road. Another petrol station was 
set ablaze near Adams Arcade. Key highways into the central business 
district remain more or less closed as police battle protestors.

Uhuru Park, the venue of the rally called by Mr Odinga, was cordoned off by 
hundreds of paramilitary policemen at the crack of dawn.

Virtually no business is taking place in the city as offices and premises 
that had opened earlier have now closed.

Scores of youths who attempted to get into the city from Kibera slums 
through Ngong road and Mbagathi Way were repulsed. A similar group was 
blocked along Thika road and Waiyaki Way

The ODM leaders met with South Africa's Bishop Desmond Tutu in the morning 
and the cleric is later expected to meet with President Kibaki.

Bishop Tutu is in Kenya in help arbitrate between President Kibaki and Mr 
Odinga's teams.
. A stand-off between police and protestors has been reported along Jogoo 
road while on Mombasa road motorists are being blocked by police from 
driving into the city.

http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/0,1518,526402,00.html

Riot Police Battle Opposition Supporters

Kenyan riot police battled with opposition supporters who marched toward a 
rally on Thursday in defiance of a government ban. South Africa's Archbishop 
Desmond Tutu has arrived in Nairobi to help mediate a solution.

Police in the Kenyan capital Nairobi fired teargas and water cannon at 
thousands of protestors on Thursday as marched towards a banned rally in the 
city center.

DPA

A opposition supporter faces a police truck spraying water during running 
battles in the streets of Nairobi on Thursday.

While opposition leaders had initially defied police and set off from their 
headquarters for the rally, a top official of Kenya's main opposition party 
said on Thursday that the rally had now been canceled and called on 
supporters to go home. "We are a peaceful people who do not want violence," 
said William Ruto, a top official of the Orange Democratic Movement. "That 
is why we are peacefully dispersing now."

Opposition leader Raila Odinga had called the march to protest the disputed 
re-election of President Mwai Kibaki. He insists that he was the winner and 
that last Thursday's vote was rigged. The outrage after Kibaki was 
inaugurated on Sunday erupted into fierce violence, in which 300 people have 
been killed.

On Thursday riot police thronged the streets and shots were fired in the air 
in an attempt to beat back the crowds. Marchers heading for the city's Uhuru 
Park, held branches and white flags, supposed to symbolize peace although 
some burned an effigy of Kibaki and waved placards denouncing him as the 
devil.

Smoke from burning tires and debris rose from barricaded streets, not just 
around Nairobi's huge slums where hundreds of thousands of Odinga's 
supporters live, but also on the main roads leading into the suburbs where 
upper-class Kenyans and expatriates live.

The violence that erupted after the disputed election has taken on worrying 
tribal character as members of Kibaki's influential Kikuyu tribe were 
targeted by other tribes. So far around 100,000 people have been displaced 
by the violence and over 5,000 have fled into neighboring Uganda. Human 
rights groups have warned of bloody repression by the police, while there 
are also reports of revenge killings, including some by the militant Kikuyu 
gang, Mungiki.

The rapid descent into chaos in one of East Africa's most stable democracies 
has been viewed with alarm abroad, particularly in the United States, which 
considers Kenya a key ally in the fight against al-Qaida in Africa. US 
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice spoke with Odinga on Wednesday and plans 
to talk with Kibaki on Thursday in order to urge both men to resolve their 
differences peacefully.

While Odinga has said he would consider a power-sharing agreement in advance 
of a re-run of the vote, he does not look like backing down in his 
insistence that he won the election. International observers have said that 
there were serious flaws in the Dec. 27 election and the count, which saw 
Kibaki win by a narrow 200,000 votes.

South Africa's Nobel Peace Prize laureate Archbishop Desmond Tutu arrived in 
Nairobi on Thursday and hopes to mediate between the two men. "This is a 
country that has been held up as a model of stability," he said after 
arriving on Thursday. "This picture has been shattered."

The unrest has already had an economic impact by scaring away tourists, 
Kenya's most important source of income. And it threatens to destabilize 
neighboring economies, many of which are reliant of fuel and other supplies 
which are imported from Kenya's Indian Ocean coast.

smd/ap/reuters

http://allafrica.com/stories/200801160318.html

Kenya: Riots as Police Break ODM Protests

The Nation (Nairobi)

16 January 2008
Posted to the web 16 January 2008

Nairobi

Police have broken demonstrations in Mombasa, Kisumu and Migori as various 
other towns across the country remained tense following protest rallies 
called by the Orange Democratic Movement.

Riot police used teargas to disperse protestors in Mombasa who responded to 
ODM's calls for three days of demonstrations against President Kibaki's 
disputed re-election.

About 100 opposition supporters were scattered in the melee, but immediately 
began regrouping, locals said.

In Kisumu, police used tear gas to disperse a group of youths who were 
demonstrating at Kondele along the Kisumu-Kakamega Road.

There was a standoff between anti-riot police officers and the youths, who 
were carrying placards and twigs in the mid morning incident.

Police officers formed a cordon to prevent them from getting to the Jomo 
Kenyatta Grounds, the venue of a planned mass action rally.

It was only after the officers lobbed tear gas canisters in the air that 
they scampered for safety.

In Nairobi, paramilitary policemen braved early morning showers to cordon 
off the city's Uhuru Park, one of the key venues of today's mass protests 
called by the Orange Democratic Movement.

Police have insisted the rallies stand outlawed for security reasons. 
However, unlike the previously planned rallies where the police closed some 
roads leading to the central business district, flow of traffic so far is 
normal.

This included traffic along the main arteries such as Jogoo Road through 
Landhies Road, Thika Road through Pangani as well as Ngong Road and Mbagathi 
Way.

Along the city streets and especially in and around Uhuru Park police 
patrolled on foot and on horseback. ODM's earlier attempts to hold a rally 
at the park have been blocked by police forcing the party to change its 
strategy by calling 48 rallies across the country over three days.

In Migori, a man was seriously injured after riot police allegedly shot him 
during the demonstrations.

The victim was shot on the thigh in Oruba estate when a group of protestors 
took to the streets to denounce the re-election of President Kibaki.

Kenya Red Cross Society officials administered first aid on the man before 
taking him to Oruba Nursing Home where he is recuperating.

In Eldoret, the town remained tense with heavy police presence. Most 
residents avoided the centre of the town.Relevant Links

Human rights organisations have criticised the Government decision to outlaw 
the protests saying it infringed on the people's freedom of assembly and 
right to hold peaceful demonstrations.

But the police commissioner Major General Hussein Ali has argued that 
hooligans were likely to take advantage of the rallies to wreak havoc to 
businesses by engaging in looting and destruction of property.

Reporting by Samwel Kumba, Daniel Otieno, Elisha Otieno and Reuters.

http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5iQUIrJzN6krWc0yJ6DP3ySeXQekQD8TU9GAO0

Riot Police Fire Tear Gas in Kenya

By KATHARINE HOURELD - Jan 3, 2008

NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) - Riot police fired tear gas and water cannons Thursday 
to beat back crowds of protesters heeding an opposition call for a 
"million-man" rally that many fear could worsen the violence that already 
has killed 300 people and displaced 100,000.

There was no sign yet, however, of the gigantic crowds many feared. Instead, 
small groups of a few hundred people each streamed toward the capital from 
various directions, as police tried to choke them off at strategic spots.

Opposition leader Raila Odinga called the march to protest President Mwai 
Kibaki's re-election in the Dec. 27 vote, insisting the poll was a sham. The 
political dispute has degenerated into ethnic violence nationwide, pitting 
Kibaki's influential Kikuyus against Odinga's Luos and other tribes.

On Wednesday, Odinga told The Associated Press the rally was meant to be 
peaceful. The government has banned the march, setting the stage for clashes 
between security forces and Odinga's supporters.

Truckloads of riot police in red berets armed with rifles and batons ringed 
the empty Uhuru Park in the city center early Thursday where protesters were 
expected to converge.

On one main road, police fired tear gas and water cannons to push back a 
crowd of several hundred people from the Kibera slum holding branches and 
white flags symbolizing peace.

"Without Raila there will be no peace," said one of the protesters, 
22-year-old Edward Muli.

Elsewhere, smoke from burning tires rose from the streets as gunshots rang 
out. Police Chief Mark Mwara called the protesters "hooligans" and accused 
them of attacking gas stations and supermarkets.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/04/world/africa/04kenya.html?_r=1&em&ex=1199509200&en=588e404488037bed&ei=5087%0A&oref=slogin

Kenyan Riot Police Turn Back Rallying Protesters
Christophe Calais for The New York Times

Protesters who dispute the results of elections last week clashed with the 
police on Thursday in Kibera, a slum in Nairobi.
By JEFFREY GETTLEMAN
Published: January 4, 2008

NAIROBI, Kenya - Nairobi degenerated into violence again on Thursday, as 
riot police officers used tear gas, batons and water cannons to push back 
thousands of opposition supporters who poured into the streets to answer a 
call for a million-person rally that had been banned by the government.

Darko Bandic/Associated Press

Kenyan police used teargas and water cannons against several hundred 
anti-government protesters in Nairobi, Kenya.

But later in the day, Kenya's attorney general broke ranks with the 
president and insisted on an independent investigation into disputed 
election results. It was the first clear indication of the growing divide 
not just on the streets but also within Kenya's government about how to 
resolve a crisis that has ignited chaos and ethnic fighting across the 
country, killing more than 300 people in the past four days.

Starting about 10 a.m., protesters burned tires, smashed windows and clashed 
with the police across this capital.

Some demonstrators showed restraint, yelling to the rowdier members in their 
ranks, "Drop your stones!" Others tore through the slums, witnesses said, 
raping women and attacking people with machetes. The body of one young man 
who had been hacked to death lay in a muddy alley. His face was covered with 
plastic bags and his shoes had been stolen.

The trouble even spilled into the garden of the Serena Hotel, one of the 
fanciest in town. Guests in safari vests watched the turmoil from the 
balconies of their $400-a-night rooms. Police officers in padded suits 
charged a scrum of demonstrators and fired tear gas. As soon as the acrid 
smoke wafted up, the tourists ducked inside.

"This country is going to burn!" a protester yelled.

It has been a week since Kenyans went to the polls in the most highly 
contested elections in the country's history, and the dispute over whether 
Mwai Kibaki, the president, honestly won the most votes continues to 
destabilize the nation.

The government and opposition leaders blame each other for the bloodshed, 
trading accusations of genocide and ethnic cleansing. They have set such 
strict conditions on negotiating that nothing - including the entreaties of 
Western ambassadors, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and the cries of 
their own people - has succeeded in getting talks started.

Kenya's two biggest newspapers printed the identical banner headline on 
Thursday: "Save Our Beloved Country."

Kenya's attorney general, Amos Wako, said on Thursday afternoon that an 
independent body should investigate the disputed vote tabulations, which 
gave the president, at the 11th hour of the counting process, a razor-thin 
margin of victory. Western officials and opposition leaders have been 
calling for such an inquiry.

However, it is not clear if Mr. Kibaki will agree to this. A few hours after 
the attorney general spoke, the president reiterated at a news conference 
that he had won the elections fair and square and would not relinquish 
power.

"I will personally lead this nation in healing," he said.

Alfred Mutua, the government's top spokesman, said that Mr. Wako was merely 
making a suggestion and that an independent investigation into election 
irregularities "was not necessarily going to happen."

"The president prefers the court system," Mr. Mutua said, meaning the 
opposition could file a complaint in court, which most people here think is 
futile. But, he added, "the president has nothing to hide."

Foreign diplomats have been meeting day and night to find a way to ease 
tension between Mr. Kibaki and Raila Odinga, the top opposition leader, who 
says he was cheated out of the presidency.

Until last week, Kenya was one of the most promising countries on the 
continent, but the ethnic violence, fueled by political passions, is 
threatening to ruin that reputation. The economy, one of the biggest in 
Africa, has ground to a halt. Roads are blocked. Shops are closed. Factories 
are idle. The currency, the Kenyan shilling, is taking a dive.

The World Bank said on Thursday that the unrest threatened Kenya's 
impressive recent economic growth and poverty reduction, citing business 
leaders' estimates that the country was losing some $30 million a day.

And the ills here are hurting the entire region. Gas stations in Rwanda are 
now rationing fuel because their supply from Kenya has been cut. In Uganda, 
Sudan and Congo, displaced people are running low on food because United 
Nations relief trucks cannot get past vigilante checkpoints. Production in 
places like Tanzania is slowing because materials that come from Kenya have 
not arrived.

"Kenya is the dynamo of this whole region," said Harvey Rouse, a diplomat 
for the European Union.

Mr. Rouse spoke from a hill overlooking an enormous slum where the police 
were battling protesters.

The slum, named Kibera, has become the protesters' stage. Every morning, 
journalists take their spots on the hillside, police officers line up at the 
mouth of a road leading from the shanties to the glass towers downtown and 
protesters mass in the streets, screaming slogans, lighting fires and 
burning pictures of the president. On Thursday it was an effigy stuffed with 
greasy rags.

Thursday was supposed to be the day that Mr. Odinga's supporters rallied in 
downtown Nairobi at a place called Uhuru Park. But they never got close.

The government has banned all political rallies, and thousands of riot 
police officers fanned out at dawn to seal off the main routes into the 
city. They refused to let any demonstrators pass.

Many of the protesters seemed harmless, like the hundreds of women carrying 
palm leaves and walking barefoot to town. They were chased away, choking on 
tear gas and clawing at their eyes.

Others' intentions were not so clear. One young protester crouched in the 
street with a green leaf, the sign of peace, in one hand and a rock in the 
other.

"We have been patient long enough!" he yelled.

It is difficult to tell which way things are going here. In the past two 
days, there have been no big attacks, like the one on Tuesday in which up to 
50 people hiding in a church were burned alive in a village in the west. But 
reports from the provinces indicate the killings are still going on.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/7168580.stm

Nairobi braced for banned rally

Odinga supporters say he was robbed of victory

The Kenyan opposition leader, Raila Odinga, has said he will hold a rally in 
the capital, Nairobi, despite a police ban.

Security forces have surrounded the park where the rally is due to be held.

Refusing to accept defeat to Mwai Kibaki in the 27 December presidential 
election, Mr Odinga's party boycotted crisis talks with the new president.
More than 300 people have been killed and at least 70,000 driven from their 
homes across Kenya since Sunday.

Both sides have hardened their positions ahead of the planned mass rally on 
Thursday morning in Uhuru Park, the BBC's Grant Ferrett reports from 
Nairobi.

And hopes of outside mediation are fading with news that a visit by African 
Union leader John Kufuor to Nairobi is unlikely to happen, our correspondent 
adds.

Mr Odinga said the rally would send a peaceful message to supporters 
opposition.

Salim Lone, his campaign manager, told the BBC that his party was not 
courting trouble.

"The eyes of the world are on us for this rally, because everywhere Mr 
Odinga goes, he is asked are you going to allow this rally to happen," he 
said.
But Vice-President Moody Awori urged Mr Odinga to accept defeat and call off 
the protest.

"Please do not risk the lives of Kenyans, encouraging a large crowd of 
people coming in Nairobi on a working day," he said, speaking to reporters.

Riot police blocked opposition supporters trying to break out of slum areas 
to reach the city centre earlier in the week.

'Genocide'

Supporters of Mr Odinga and President Kibaki have accused each other of 
genocide.

See Kenya's ethnic divisions by province

Mr Kibaki had invited all newly elected members of parliament to an urgent 
meeting at state house.

But instead of attending, Mr Odinga's Orange Democratic Movement MPs held a 
news conference to again urge Mr Kibaki to leave office.

"How could we attend?" ODM secretary general Anyang Nyongo was quoted by AFP 
news agency as saying. "He is not a president but a usurper. It is genocide 
because police are killing people."

Mr Odinga himself said there could be no "dialogue with a thief", referring 
to the alleged vote-rigging which returned Mr Kibaki to office.

Speaking on behalf of the government, Lands Minister Kivutha Kibwana accused 
the ODM of planning, funding and rehearsing "genocide and ethnic cleansing" 
before the election.

The mutual accusation of genocide is a dangerous escalation of the rhetoric 
at a time of heightened tension, our correspondent notes.

'Two patriots'

Mr Kufuor, president of Ghana, had been expected to arrive on Thursday but a 
senior Kenyan government minister said on Wednesday the visit would not take 
place.

Finance Minister Amos Kimunya told the BBC the visit was not going ahead 
because there was no need for international mediation in a "Kenyan

The comments are contrary to statements from Mr Kufuor's office that Mr 
Kibaki has invited him to Kenya.

Michael Ranneberger, the US ambassador, told the BBC World Service that Mr 
Kibaki and Mr Odinga had to work together to bring peace to Kenya, even if 
the election result was still being contested.

"This is a time when two of the greatest Kenyan patriots - the president and 
Raila Odinga - need to step forward and work out a practical way forward in 
the interests of the Kenyan people," he said.

Samuel Kivuitu, head of Kenya's election commission, told the BBC's Network 
Africa programme that he could not say for sure if Mr Kibaki had won fairly 
until he was shown the original records.

"I don't know until I see the records - the original records - which I can't 
see unless the court authorises it - if we can get authority from law 
allowing us to check whether these figures are correct, we'll do so," he 
said.

The full devastation and horror of this week's unrest emerged on Wednesday 
as journalists visited the charred slums of Nairobi and areas of western 
Kenya which saw tribal violence.

Fear in the night

The BBC's Karen Allen walked through the smouldering embers of the wooden 
church on the outskirts of Eldoret, in the Rift Valley, where some 30 people 
were burnt alive.

People have been trying to identify dead relations in a Kisumu morgue

The people sheltering there were members of President Kibaki's own community 
but other groups were also targeted.

Political rivalries have exposed ethnic tensions these past few days and 
communities that once lived side by side now torn apart, our correspondent 
says.

Patrick Nongyez of the local Red Cross said he had never seen anything like 
the church attack in Kenya.

As dusk fell, hundreds of people were preparing to sleep at the main police 
station for security.

Chemu Mungo, an Eldoret student, told BBC Radio 5 Live that people in the 
town felt the only safe place to go now was the bush.

http://africa.reuters.com/top/news/usnL08520443.html

Protesters riot after Kenya cabinet announcement
Tue 8 Jan 2008, 18:00 GMT

By Barry Moody and Daniel Wallis

NAIROBI, Jan 8 (Reuters) - Opposition supporters rioted in the western city 
of Kisumu on Tuesday after Kenyan President Mwai Kibaki named several 
members of a new cabinet, dashing hopes of an end to post-election 
bloodshed.

Witnesses said protesters built burning barricades and stoned cars in 
Kisumu, a stronghold of opposition leader Raila Odinga, after Kibaki named 
17 new ministers.

Local reporter Baraka Karama told Reuters police shot dead one protester in 
Kisumu. Residents of Nairobi's Mathare and Kibera slums said hundreds of 
opposition supporters took to the streets, some brandishing machetes.

Almost 500 people have died in the violence since a disputed Dec. 27 
election returned Kibaki to power.

The opposition, which says Kibaki holds power illegally after rigging the 
election, had earlier rejected bilateral negotiations with the government to 
end the violence. The cabinet announcement, which the opposition sees as an 
attempt to cement Kibaki's victory, reduced the scope for a national unity 
government, which he had offered earlier. It came as African Union chairman 
and Ghanaian President John Kufuor arrived for talks with both sides on the 
crisis.

Odinga's Orange Democratic Movement (ODM), said Kibaki's announcement had no 
legal basis and made a mockery of his agreement to enter serious 
negotiations with Kufuor mediating.

"This is the latest and most serious of many efforts by Mr Kibaki to 
undermine the Kufuor mission," a statement said.

Kibaki has invited Odinga to talks on Friday but the opposition leader said 
they were a "sideshow" and he would only attend negotiations mediated by 
Kufuor.

Kibaki did not invite Kufuor to Friday's talks and officials say he will 
remain in Nairobi for little more than 24 hours.

TELEVISED ADDRESS

Kibaki made a televised addressed to the nation to announce his cabinet, but 
did not mention the crisis.

He retained several figures hated by the opposition, including former 
hardline Interior Minister John Michuki, who moved to the roads ministry.

Despite huge international pressure, especially from Western powers, Kibaki 
and Odinga have still not met face-to-face since violence erupted when 
Kibaki was sworn in on Dec. 30.

Odinga says Kibaki stole the election and must step down and make way for a 
new vote after a transitional period.

Kibaki is reluctant to accept international mediation. His officials say the 
crisis is an internal matter.

Odinga accused Kibaki of trying to divert attention from Kufuor's mission by 
offering bilateral talks.

"Clearly, he is extremely worried about an independent, international review 
of the election outcome," Odinga said.

Finance Minister Amos Kimunya, reappointed to the new cabinet, told Reuters 
the turmoil could could cost east Africa's biggest economy around $1 
billion. One of the worst crises since Kenya's independence from Britain in 
1963 has also badly hit a swathe of central and east African countries 
dependent on Mombasa port on the Indian Ocean.

Britain and the United States pressed Kibaki and Odinga to negotiate a 
solution.

"They need to agree upon something that they can both live with that ends 
the political crisis and therefore ends the possibility of any further 
political violence," State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said.

Relatives were still retrieving bodies in the area around the western town 
of Eldoret after last week's violence.

Faith Wairimu broke down in sobs as she stumbled across her husband's 
dismembered body in a field late on Monday. He was hacked to death in the 
same attack near Eldoret in which 30 people died in a church set on fire by 
a mob.

Odinga had looked on course to win the election until Kibaki, 76, was handed 
a narrow victory. Both sides alleged widespread rigging and international 
observers say the poll fell short of democratic standards. (Additional 
reporting by Tim Cocks in Eldoret, Katie Nguyen, Daniel Wallis, George 
Obulutsa, Helen Nyamabura-Mwaura, Nicolo Gnecchi in Nairobi and Sue Pleming 
in Washington; Writing by Barry Moody; Editing by Keith Weir)

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2008%5C01%5C08%5Cstory_8-1-2008_pg4_2

Kenya Opp cancels protest rally: Odinga

* Parliament to open on 15th
* UN-backed panel likens Kenyan killings to genocide

NAIROBI: Kenyan opposition leader Raila Odinga said Monday he had cancelled 
a nationwide protest rally for the next day in order to talk with 
international mediators seeking to resolve the country's crisis.

But he said further rallies could go ahead at a later date and that Tuesday's 
nationwide rally had simply been postponed. "We have not cancelled it, what 
we have done is we have postponed it because now there is a possibility of 
mediation talks beginning on Wednesday," Odinga told Kenya's Sawa Radio.

Ahmed Hashi, a spokesman for Odinga's Orange Democratic Movement, said 
earlier that the rally had been cancelled and that the decision was prompted 
by the expected arrival of the head of the African Union, Ghanaian President 
John Kufuor. Odinga said that he had spoken to Kufuor. "He assured me that 
he will be arriving tomorrow here and the talks will begin on Wednesday, 
because of that we have decided to postpone the rally to some future date," 
Odinga said.

The opposition leader said he met with top US Africa envoy Jendayi Frazer 
for two hours and hoped she would stay to meet with Kufuor too. "It will be 
good if she is there. We want to see a more international presence in this 
meeting." Odinga also said he was ready to start a dialogue with President 
Mwai Kibaki, whom he accuses of rigging the December 27 poll, about several 
options including power sharing and re-elections.

The government welcomed the cancellation of Tuesday's demonstrations, which 
it had already banned.

Parliament opens on 15th: Kenya's President Mwai Kibaki on Monday said he 
would convene a new session of parliament on January 15, despite the 
opposition's refusal to recognise his re-election. "In a legal notice issued 
today, President Mwai Kibaki proclaimed that a new session of Parliament 
will begin on Tuesday January 15," the presidential press service said in a 
statement.

Genocide: A United Nations-backed panel said Monday the killings spurred by 
disputed presidential elections in Kenya were "akin to ethnic cleansing and 
genocide."

"Some of these killings are perpetuated in the most bizarre and cold-blooded 
manner, akin to ethnic cleansing and genocide, as they target the most 
vulnerable including women and children," Liberata Mulamula, chief of the 
International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGK), said in a 
statement. "Refugees, internal displacement, hate campaigns and threats of 
genocide are returning to the region," he warned.

As Kenya braced for further clashes ahead of a day of nationwide opposition 
demonstrations planned for Tuesday, the ICGK urged the government to protect 
civilians and called on the opposition to restrain its supporters. "I appeal 
to all the parties and people in Kenya to exercise restraint and halt all 
forms of violence, hate campaigns and condemn any killings of innocent 
people in Kenya," Mulamula said. Agencies

http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5iiYAubRnZ532unjZwZjzsyKQj8MQ

Kenya death toll tops 700 as protest rallies loom: police

3 days ago

NAIROBI (AFP) - A prominent US-based rights group called on Kenyan 
authorities Sunday to lift a ban on political rallies ahead of new protests 
this week, as the death toll from post-election violence topped 700.

Police gave the fresh death toll from violence sparked by December 27 
presidential polls after four people died in overnight clashes in the Rift 
Valley and 100 more bodies were discovered.

Human Rights Watch urged the government to allow rallies led by opposition 
leader Raila Odinga, which are due to start Wednesday to protest alleged 
vote-rigging that led to President Mwai Kibaki winning a second five-year 
term.

Police have outlawed any public meetings since bloody clashes erupted after 
Kibaki's victory was declared and many feared a showdown with protesters.

Besides the rising death toll, the violence has forced more than 250,000 
people to flee their homes.

"The government should defuse tension by immediately lifting the ban on 
public assembly and allowing the planned demonstrations to go ahead," said 
Georgette Gagnon, HRW acting chief for Africa.

"The Kenyan government should urgently and publicly order the police to stop 
using excessive, lethal force against public rallies," she added, after 
police cracked down on previous rallies with tear gas, truncheons and 
warning shots.

International pressure is growing on Kibaki and Odinga to break their 
deadlock and drop all preconditions for face-to-face talks.

"The potential for further bloodshed remains high unless the political 
crisis is quickly resolved," UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said.

Mediation efforts by African Union chairman John Kufuor failed but he left 
Nairobi last week stating that the two rivals had agreed to work with a 
panel, led by former UN chief Kofi Annan, "towards resolving their 
differences."

It remains unclear, however, just what Annan's role would be, with Kibaki 
rejecting the idea of outside mediation.

"All hope must be given to this mediation," said French Foreign Minister 
Bernard Kouchner. He called on Kenya's leaders to "heed reason" and put an 
end to "more violence and more division".

The turmoil has shattered Kenya's image as a beacon of stability in 
otherwise restive East Africa, and dealt a serious blow to the region's 
largest economy.

"The country-wide death toll is more than 700 dead," a top police commander 
told AFP on Sunday, after 89 more bodies were recovered in the Rift Valley 
and western provinces.

Four new deaths were meanwhile reported in the Rift Valley overnight.

Eleven people -- including eight members of one family -- were recovered 
from pit latrines in the volatile Mount Elgon region, police said.

An official from the Kenya Red Cross Society confirmed the new recorded 
deaths, and revised its official toll from 486 to 575 dead. A tally by AFP 
meanwhile stands at 704.

Odinga is refusing to recognise Kibaki's re-election or to sit down with him 
until he admits to fraud.

And he told a packed congregation of some 2,000 supporters at a Nairobi 
church on Sunday that he would fight on.

"Kenyans spoke for change, Kenyans want change and Kenyans will get change," 
he said, thanking supporters "for voting so overwhelming for me as president 
of this country," sparking loud cheers.

Elsewhere in the city, Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka -- who until last week 
led a small opposition party -- warned that organisers would be accountable 
for the consequences if they did not call off next week's protests.

Many Kenyans have begun stocking up on provisions amid uncertainty over the 
outcome of the rallies.

Cosmas Mbugua, a 46-year-old mechanical engineer, withdrew extra cash at one 
Nairobi supermarket and bought supplies of flour, sugar and beans. "It's 
very uncertain," he said.

Emos Soul, an accountant for the Red Cross, said he expected more violence, 
as he bought powdered milk and other provisions. "We'd rather suffer another 
week or month than suffer five more years," he said.

Another expected flashpoint was Tuesday's re-opening of parliament after 
Kibaki swore in a partial cabinet last week to widespread criticism at home 
and abroad.

The Kenya Red Cross Society warned Saturday of degenerating conditions for 
those displaced by the recent unrest, mostly in the west of Kenya and in 
slums around the capital.

Meanwhile, Odinga's opposition Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) party 
claimed that Uganda had sent troops to Kenya's western region at the request 
of Kibaki's government ahead of the protests -- something police flatly 
denied.