Odhiambo Orlale, Kenneth Ogosia and Douglas Mutua
21 January 2008
Nairobi — Ten more people were killed in different parts of the country as the Government and ODM continued to differ over the way forward in the search for a peaceful settlement to the current political crisis.
On Sunday, the Government insisted that the committee led by Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka would lead peace negotiations as mandated.
And ODM leader Raila Odinga repeated that his group would not work with the Kalonzo committee.
The team was named by President Kibaki to negotiate peace and reconciliation after two weeks of violence sparked by the outcome of the December General Election.
The 10 people were hacked to death in ethnic violence mainly in Kericho, Nakuru, Nairobi and Mombasa and tens of houses torched.
In the newly-created Kipkelion District, five more people were killed when Kasheen farm was raided by armed youths on Saturday night.
Attacked a monastery
All the five were shot with arrows and died on the spot, bringing the number of those killed in Kipkelion in the past two days to 11.
Kipkelion DC Abdi Halake said that six people were killed and 50 houses burnt in the area on Saturday night.
In Nairobi, at least three people were killed in an orgy of violence at Huruma slums.
Thirteen people were admitted to Kenyatta National Hospital with machete cuts.
In Nakuru, a businessman was killed by a gang which raided his home in Solai.
The man was shot with arrows before being hacked to death. Several houses were torched in the area as well as in Njoro and Narok.
In Msambweni at the Coast, mobs raided a home and killed a man and injured members of his family. They ordered the family to vacate the region.
The mobs chopped off the man's arm and left it dangling on a tree, with a chilling message to members of two communities stuck on it.
In Nairobi Information minister Samuel Poghisio told Mr Odinga that the 10 member-team appointed by President Kibaki last week was there to stay.
Addressing journalists in his office, the minister said Mr Musyoka would lead the team to meet with the international mediators, as directed by the President.
Mr Poghisio warned ODM leaders that they would be held responsible for any damage of property by their supporters on orders of the leaders.
He singled out the call by ODM leaders to boycott businesses owned by people perceived to support President Kibaki describing it as economic sabotage. He said the boycott call was a betrayal to the Kenyan worker.
The recent destruction of the railway line by ODM supporters in Kibera had complicated the lives of people in ODM dominated regions, said the minister.
"The ODM must realise that the Government is well aware about the script they are reading from in their scheme of activities both in the past and what they intend to do in the future," he said.
Mr Odinga, speaking in Nairobi Sunday, vowed that ODM would not recognise the Kalonzo team.
Addressing worshippers at Holy Trinity Anglican Church in the volatile Kibera slums in his Lang'ata constituency, Mr Odinga pledged to give dialogue a chance "even if it means meeting sinners."
The ODM leader said his party was committed to mediation and announced they would meet former UN secretary-general Kofi Annan on Tuesday for the talks.
Mr Odinga also announced fresh round of protests starting Monday in Kakamega and Kisumu.
Mr Poghisio said Mr Annan was expected in the country from Tuesday.
"Mr Annan is expected on Tuesday, and he will get the reception that befits him. The Government has a reconciliation team led by the VP and we are ready for the mediation talks."
Mr Poghisio said the Government had taken the first step in the mediation talks by appointing the VP and nine other Cabinet ministers, and it was up to ODM to form its own team.
The minister was accompanied by the permanent secretary, Dr Bitange Ndemo, Government spokesman Alfred Mutua, and the director of information, Mr Ezekiel Mutua.
Asked to comment on Mr Odinga's remarks that he was not ready to meet the Government team because he did not trust Mr Musyoka, who stood against him in the December 27 General Election and came third, the minister reminded him that ODM had no right to decide for the Government who would sit in the presidential team.
He said Kalonzo cannot be a Judas as he had never been a disciple of ODM leader Raila Odinga.
"Mr Musyoka has never been a disciple of Raila but his rival. He is the VP ."
Mr Poghisio, who is the Kacheliba MP, accused Mr Odinga of trying to play God by quoting the Bible and accusing the VP of being Judas Iscariot who betrayed Jesus.
The minister was reacting to a statement by the ODM leader saying he was not ready to meet the 10-person team led by the VP because he did not trust him.
Earlier, the ODM leader had said the election results were hijacked in Nairobi and resulted in the theft. He said they will insist that Mr Annan broker a programme for a re-run of Presidential elections.
He urged the masses to remain firm in their resolve to fight President Kibaki out of State House and deal a blow to any economic interests of his "rich supporters and not kiosks or business of the energetic and hard-working poor majority".
Mr Odinga displayed live bullets used by a senior GSU officer, who he named, to kill "innocent citizens".
The Lang'ata MP claimed he won the elections by over a million votes and would insist on a re-run of Presidential elections.
He challenged the church leaders to lead protests against the injustices instead of keeping "their mouths full and foul".
Mr Odinga told them that Kenyans are waiting for them to finish eating what is in their mouths.
Accompanied by his wife Ida, elder brother and Bondo MP Oburu Odinga, ODM politicians Geoffrey Asanyo, Mike Brawan, Reuben Ndolo, Joshua Nyamori, Chris Otieno and Dagoretti parliamentary loser John Kiarie, Mr Odinga told his supporters not to burn churches, hospitals and schools during their protests.
Elsewhere John Cardinal John Njue appealed to Mr Kibaki and Mr Odinga to meet soon in an effort to resolve the political crisis.
On Saturday, Mr Musyoka held talks with the members of Africa Forum for Peace Mission and briefed them on the efforts the Government was making to restore peace.
He disclosed plans to establish a truth and justice commission.
The Vice-President told the former Heads of State that the proposed commission would address the causes of the post election violence and spearhead the healing process.
He also announced that ODM leaders would be invited to nominate representatives to the said commission.
The former African presidents are expected to spearhead negotiations between the Government and the Opposition following post-election violence that has gulfed the country.
Led by former Mozambican president Joaquim Chissano the peace mission includes former Tanzanian president Benjamin Mkapa and his Botswana counterpart Sir Ketumile Masire.
Mr Chissano expressed his mission's commitment to assist the country regain peace and stability.
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iam a kenya citizen based in nairobi and i feel reary agrieved by what is going on in this beatiful country. thinking of what is going on one is left worndering if this realy a political difference or a well ochestrated agenda to make the poor listen to the rich for dicades to come.WE ARE ONLY EXPERIENCEING THIS ORGY IN THE SLUMS ONLY why not in muthaiga n runda where this leaders live? The only solution to the promlem is one.Let the hunter became the hunted n the GAME will be no more.Lets take the fighting to their door steps where they are sleeping in divan beds when a one day baby its mother n dad are being hacked to death by intoxicated youth.We voted for them,let them fight their own battles