Dave Opiyo, Samwel Kumba, Tim Querengesser, Caroline Wafula and Cosmas Butunyi
17 January 2008
Nairobi — A man was shot dead and two others injured as police battled demonstrators during Day One of marches called by ODM to protest against the outcome of the December presidential election.
In Nairobi ODM MPs William Ruto, Najib Balala and Joseph Nyaga assembled on the Kenyatta Avenue-Kimathi Street junction, but were dispersed with tear gas.
They had arrived at City Centre in the afternoon and were gathering to plan how to approach Uhuru Park, venue of their planned protest rally, when they were confronted by the police.
The park was ringed by regular and Administration police together with contingents of General Service Unit officers.
The group had included ODM leader Raila Odinga who did not alight from his vehicle. He was driven off when police used tear gas to disperse the MPs.
As Mr Balala sprinted away from the cloud of tear gas, he tripped and fell, but was quickly pulled up by his aides and shoved into his car.
Police spokesman Eric Kiraithe said the man shot dead and another injured in Kisumu were in a group that had attacked police officers.
He said the officers had gone to Kondele, after receiving reports that a gang was attacking passers-by.
Attacked them
"They had taken advantage of the rally... Police fired when the group attacked them," Mr Kiraithe said.
In Nairobi, added the spokesman, a group of youths had taken a policeman hostage, who was later rescued by his colleagues. The officer had been walking from the Kibera law courts when the gang confronted him, forced him to sit on the tarmac and started interrogating him.
Three people were shot and injured in a confrontation with police at the slum.
Two other people, he added, had been arrested in the city centre for attempting to loot a shop.
Shortly after the 2.30pm incident, police blocked all roads leading to the central business district and asked people operating businesses at the street level to close shop.
Commuters walked long distances to catch public transport home as matatus were not allowed into the City Centre.
Armed police officers erected barriers at the City Stadium roundabout on Jogoo Road.
Another block on Bunyala and Museum Hill roundabouts on Uhuru Highway, prevented traffic flow from the Lang'ata and Mombasa roads.
Other officers diverted motorists at the Murang'a and Thika roads roundabout, ensuring none entered the central business district.
Motorists on Ngong Road were diverted at the City Mortuary roundabout.
Within an hour after the order, all vehicles had been cleared from downtown Nairobi. Masses of people leaving the city centre had to walk long distances to board matatus at the diversion points.
The roads into the city centre were reopened just before 7pm.
Nairobi had been calm in the morning with business appearing to be normal until 2pm.
A sudden downpour in Nairobi's Eastlands forced youths who had erected barricades on Juja Road to disperse.
The shooting of the man brought to 65 the number of people killed in Kisumu since the violence erupted after the December 27 General Election, which ODM and observers claim was marked by irregularities in vote tallying that favoured Mwai Kibaki for President.
The two injured people were taken to the Nyanza Provincial Hospital.
In Siaya Town, a primary school pupil was shot in the leg as police battled with the rioters at Akala market.
Earlier in the day, the police shot several times in the air to disperse the rioters in town who only gave up after a heavy downpour.
In the morning, police arrested three people as they dispersed protesters in Mombasa. There was peace in Westlands and other up-market suburbs of Nairobi, Kajiado, Narok, Nakuru, Central Kenya and Eastern Province.
Armed policemen
Mr Odinga said they would press on with protest marches until their demands are met. "This government has no credibility. That is why it has deployed a big number of armed policemen throughout the country to stop our peaceful rallies," he said.
But he pledged to cooperate with international mediators to reach a negotiated settlement to the poll dispute.
Uhuru Park was out of bounds as the paramilitary officers formed a ring around it. Only police vehicles were allowed into the park, which was also barricaded with stones and metal spikes.
Several tear gas canisters were fired, forcing both journalists and ODM supporters to scamper for safety at the nearby Serena Hotel. The hotel doors were locked and only a select few were allowed inside.
Journalists confronted Ngong police boss Hamisi Mabea, informing him that they were also on duty.
Mr Ruto accused the Government of misusing the country's security forces to disperse "peaceful supporters".
Mvita MP Najib Balala dared the Government to give them only a day and they would raise a million people at Uhuru Park. Elsewhere, officers from Kilimani Police Station stormed Kibera's Ayany Estate where they reportedly shot four people in the legs. Those shot were rushed to a nearby clinic where police picked them up.
Meanwhile, the youths blocked the roads after the shoot-out with huge stones and a fuel tank besides lighting bonfires.
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I totaly agree that Odinga is the one killing people directlzý or indirectly. If he does not want people to be killed he should tell them not to go out on the street for any demonstrations
The number of civillians killed by Raila and his murderers is 600 Kenyans.
The number of violent killers killed by police is only 65. Mr. Odinga should stop this violent on the people of Kenya.
Karara Muhoro