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.
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.
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Election day was relatively peaceful until Kivitu, the compromised ECK commissioner lied to the voters. The election was stolen by Kibaki, a 76 year old cardiac patient who should have retired to his shamba as a statesman. Instead he insults and underestimates his own citizens. He exhibits a strong dose of contempt to the extent that he believes that strong arm, blood letting tactics and barbarism by the police office will quell the passions of the people.
Kenya has fallen in whatever stature it was enjoying, although that was an illusion, and its demise is not astonishing, but… [Read Full Text]
As a kenyan,I think the Police and those in power should know that THE COMMON MAN has suffered a lot in the hands of the power hungry politicians who are fighting for their own gains,The gap between the rich and the poor is so big and people should be left to express their feelings when they demostrate peacefully.why kill them when they votted peacefully without war and they expected the outcome to be what they wanted???????? Time will tell and feature has a lot to judge; I wonder what Mr. Kivuti is saying, now that people have been killed, some… [Read Full Text]