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Kenya: Death in ODM Protests
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The Nation (Nairobi)
17 January 2008
Posted to the web 17 January 2008
Dave Opiyo, Samwel Kumba, Tim Querengesser, Caroline Wafula and Cosmas Butunyi
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.
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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.
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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
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
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