18 January 2008
Nairobi — Eight more people were killed in Nairobi and Kisumu as police battled with demonstrators on the second day of rallies called by ODM to protest at the disputed results of the December Presidential election.
Police shot a man identified by relatives as Felix Okong'o in Nairobi's Mathare North area in what they said was a confrontation between them and demonstrators.
Another man was killed in Kibera while a third was burnt to death in a house in Nairobi's Ruaraka area.
Meanwhile, the European Union Parliament Thursday passed a resolution to freeze aid to Kenya until the election dispute is resolved.
Anti-riot police were engaged in running battles in the city's Mathare, Kibera and Dagoretti areas in an effort to stop ODM supporters from making their way to Uhuru Park, the venue of the rally, which was sealed off by GSU officers.
Calm was reported in other parts of the country as the ODM protest rallies entered a second day.
The party claims its Presidential candidate Raila Odinga won the elections but the polls were rigged in favour of President Kibaki.
ODM rallies
Violence also broke out in Narok Town, Mwatate and Voi as police fought with protesters to stop the rallies.
Business was disrupted in the city centre in the afternoon as police battled demonstrators.
In Kisumu, three people were shot on Wednesday night in Manyatta, Arina and Nubian estates while a fourth one was shot on the Kisumu-Busia highway as they staged a demonstration.
And a bullet tore through a tin-walled dwelling in Bandani estate killing a single mother inside identified as Judith Namukuru.
The deaths brought to six, the number of people killed in Kisumu since Wednesday. The shooting of a man on Wednesday captured on television camera sparked an uproar by Nyanza MPs who called for the officer's prosecution.
Tension remained high in the town as police patrolled the central business district and the estates.
Nyanza PPO Grace Kaindi said the victims were killed when demonstrators clashed with security personnel at Kondele, Manyatta and Arina estates.
She said two others were shot last night after they broke into an abandoned house at Arina estate.
In Nairobi, a sudden appearance of Pentagon members Najib Balala and Mrs Charity Ngilu forced riot police to throw tear gas on Kenyatta Avenue and Banda Street to disperse people.
The two MPs scampered in different directions later regrouping at the Serena Hotel where they were denied entry. At the hotel, Foreign minister Moses Wetang'ula met former Mozambique President Joachim Chisano and former Botswana President Ketumile Masire. The minister told the Press he was briefing the leaders on the current situation in the country.
Vice-President Kalonzo Musyoka also went to the hotel in the afternoon, but journalists were barred from entering the venue. Government spokesman Alfred Mutua played down the rallies and instead appealed to civil servants to report to work as usual.
In Eldoret, road blocks were set up at four points on the main roads leading to the town despite the tight security by the GSU personnel, regular and Administration police.
Those closed included the Eldoret-Nakuru highway, Iten-Eldoret-road, Kapsabet-Eldoret and Eldoret-Webuye roads.
Five workers at Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital were injured when police fought demonstrators in the town.
They were hurt as police dispersed demonstrators who appeared to have taken cover in the hospital's compound.
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All the killings would not happen if Raila made a decision to go back on his threat to Kill one group of Kenyan people.
Raila, this is for you!
STOP THE KILLINGS
KENYA IS PEACEFUL WITHOUT YOU INCITING VIOLENCE.
IT IS NOT POSSIBLE THAT THE COUNTRIES SUPPORTING RAILA TO CONTINUE HIS AGITATION, DO NOT ACTUALLY NEED HIM IN DESTROYING KENYA.
RAILA IS CARRYING HIS THREATS VERY WELL WITHOUT THE HELP OF THE EUROPEANS, TE FRENCH, OR THE AMERICANS.
MUWANJIKU
My fellow Kenyan,
Mr. Raila is not responsible for the killings in the country, no one would just sit and watch his cake on another man's mouth. This is painfull and resentfull. If you are genuine with yourself, maddam or whoever you are, i want you to take the example of Mr Daniel Arap Moi, he left with dignity, as a gentle man, when he knew his term was blinking yellow. He did not grab anybody by the neck the way your kibaki is doing. Mr. Raila is persuing his right as a kenyan, of caurse he is NOT insighting any killings as you quoted nor is he responsible, but Kibaki is responsible, if you look at it from the right angle of the root of all these chaos.
I do not live in the country, but i have all the information from the right sources out here.If you are realy concerned about the wellfair of the country, then you should make the right judgement with wisdom. In a time like this, it does not matter where you come from, wheather you are a kikuyu , luo, giriama or any other tribe, WE ARE KENYANS, AND WE DEFFEND OUR MOTHER LAND 'KENYA'
STOP!!!!!!! THIS LUO KIKUYU THING AND BE CIVILIZED. I HATE TRIBALISM LIKE I HATE THE DEVIL. KENYANS PLEASE!!!! WE ARE KENYANS!!!!! WE ARE NOT LUOS AND KIKUYUS AND KAMBAS AND LL THOSE NAMES YOU CALL YOURSEVES.
I AM AMAIZED THAT EVEN HERE IN ABROAD KENYANS DISCRIMINATE EACH OTHER, IF YOU DO NOT BELONG TO ONE PARTICULAR TRIBE. SUCH ASHAME. ALL BECAUSE OF OUR LEADERS, WHO HAVE SEPERATED US. MONICA.
When is this madness of killing the demonstrators going to be avoided by the police. Their continued impudence would lead to inflow of guns from neighbouring Somali. Once their actions continue unabatted they will easily be out numbered and overwhelmed. Save Kenya from destruction by letting the political masters come to terms with reality and resolve their differences. I call upon the police to protect and preserve life of every Kenyan regardless of political affiliations. They do not know who will be their masters tomorrow.