The Communist Opposition wants a new Vote

 

A demonstrator at a protest rally held by "Kenyans United For Peace" outside the United Nations on January 4. The group delivered a petition asking for the United Nations Security Council to convene an emergency meeting on Kenya. The group also called for Kibaki's resignation.

Photo credit: Richard Moon/Black Star News

 

Kenya’s opposition party leaders will tell a top US diplomat that fresh elections, not a recount, are the only way to resolve the country’s crisis following last week’s disputed vote, a senior  party leader told The Black Star News today.
In a telephone interview from Nairobi, Prof. Anyang Nyong'o, secretary general of the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM), which says it unseated the incumbent Mwai Kibaki last Thursday, said new elections should be held within three months.
“We want new elections not a recount because they have already messed up the register significantly,” Nyong'o said, referring to the list of voters. “We want an independent mediator to ensure that an independent electoral commission is in place under the supervision of international mediators and a commission that will competently run the elections.”

U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Africa Jendayi Frazer arrives in Nairobi tomorrow to try and help the opposition party led by Raila Odinga and Kibaki defuse the crisis.
Riots and protests erupted when Kibaki hastily had himself sworn in last Sunday; an estimated 300 people have been killed and tens of thousands displaced.
Nyong'o said after the U.S. realized it had been misled it "did the honorable thing" and retracted the congratulations initially sent to Kibaki by the State Department. He said at that time Kibaki should have done the right thing and recounced his swearing in.

Prof. Nyong’o said three months is a realistic timeline considering that’s how long it took for the presidential election run off in Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) a country with even more logistical and organizational obstacles.

The ODM official also said an Odinga government’s priority would include constitutional reform “to make this country much more democratic and much more dynamic.” He said since independence in 1963 Kenya has only known authoritarian rule under Jomo Kenyatta, Daniel arap Moi and now Mwai Kibaki; these are the only presidents that have ruled.

“We are proposing a much more devolved government with powers of the presidency dispersed to various institutions within the executive and much more effective balance of power between the three branches of government, something that has not happened because of the highly authoritarian constitution,” Nyong’o said.

The party official also wanted to set the record straight in terms of what kind of economic policy the country would pursue and addressed the periodic reference to Odinga in some Western media as a former Marxist.

“But of course anybody who had opposed U.S. imperialism in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia is described as a former Marxist,” he said. “But I don’t think Mr. Odinga is a former Marxist. Mr. Odinga is a social democrat—and he’s a patriot, as I am.” Prof. Nyong’o said Odinga was also a businessman with several investments in the country. Odinga also has a company that sells cylinders all over East Africa and had just invested in a major agro-chemical plant in Kisumu, in Kenya.

"Social democracy is not opposed to capitalist development that recognizes the basic needs of the ordinary person," he added.

“Even his father the late Jaramogi Oginga Odinga was both a progressive and a capitalist,” Nyong’o said. The elder Odinga had been a hero of Kenyan independence and a past vice president before a falling out with the late Jomo Kenyatta, Kenya’s first president. He also wrote the classic, “Not Yet Uhuru.”

By Milton Allimadi ,January 4th, 2008 Opposition: New Kenya Vote

Kenya unrest At a glance.

 

Tension remains high in Kenya after the opposition called off a rally in the capital, Nairobi. Opposition leader Raila Odinga accuses President Mwai Kibaki of stealing last week's election. There have been violent clashes across the country.

This is a timeline of Thursday's events as they unfolded:

1819 GMT: Kenya's Assistant Information Minister Koigi Wa Wamwere admits to the BBC that the level of public trust in government and opposition has been affected by the post-election unrest. He says he'd like to see a full investigation into the claims of rigging, with fresh elections in three or six months.

1819 GMT: The US State Department says it is sending a top envoy to Kenya to try to promote a dialogue between Kenyan President Mwai Kibaki and opposition leader Raila Odinga, AFP news agency reports.

1817 GMT: Orange Democratic Movement spokesman William Ruto confirms to the BBC that the ODM will try and proceed with their rally tomorrow. Another meeting is also planned for Tuesday, he says.

1728 GMT: Kenya's opposition spokesman Salim Lone says the rally "is on for tomorrow", Friday 4 January, according to Reuters. The announcement prompts confusion, after the march was earlier set back till next Tuesday.

In pictures: Protest march

1626 GMT: Kenya's police spokesman Eric Kiraithe tells the BBC the police need to be commended for showing restraint against "hooligans" who were demonstrating in Nairobi.

He said officers tried to negotiate and use persuasion rather than force. The two reported cases of police-inflicted casualties occurred in Mathare slum after a petrol station had been burned down, he said.

1626 GMT: Continued civil unrest in Kenya could hit humanitarian work across east and central Africa, Save the Children UK warns. "Kenya is a humanitarian hub where many aid organisations run operations across the wider region," the charity's David Wightwick said in a statement.

1618 GMT: Journalist and Africa Confidential analyst Patrick Smith in Nairobi tells the BBC that President Mwai Kibaki's comments raise the prospect of a possible power-sharing administration and seem a major step forward.

Two opposition MPs are arrested in Kisumu for mobilising people to stage a banned protest

1138 GMT

He says in the last few days a lot of people in Nairobi have been talking about this as a possible solution. However, a sticking point for the ODM could be the status of Mr Kibaki as president.

1546 GMT: The United States is pushing for political reconciliation, not necessarily a coalition government in Kenya, the US state department says, denying an earlier European Union statement, AFP news agency reports.

1506 GMT: The BBC's Kevin Machiro, fresh from the presidential press conference in Nairobi, says President Mwai Kibaki, 75, seemed a lot more energetic than in recent days and responded to journalists' questions in a jovial manner. As well as calling for calm and dialogue he said he would visit the areas affected by violence as part of the healing process.

1443 GMT: At a press conference, Kenya's President Mwai Kibaki appeals for an end to the violence and says he is ready for political dialogue, Reuters news agency reports.

President Kibaki calls for restraint

1431 GMT: The UK is to give £1m ($2m) in emergency aid victims of the violence gripping Kenya, International Development Secretary Douglas Alexander says.

1421 GMT: Proposed joint mediation by the African Union and the Commonwealth between Kenya's political factions is dropped, AFP reports.

Ghana's President John Kufuor, the AU chairman, "is no longer coming", Commonwealth spokesman Julius Mucunguzi told the news agency.

1328 GMT: The scene at Nairobi's morgue "defies description", Orange Democratic Movement leader Raila Odinga says after seeing some of the bodies of the estimated 300 people killed in violence since Sunday. "We can only describe it as genocide on a grand scale," AP new agency quotes him as telling journalists.

1315 GMT: The BBC's Abraham Odeke in the Kenyan-Uganda border town of Malaba says refugees continue to cross into Uganda and about 1,000 people are in two reception camps. By day the Ugandan police are actively patrolling the border, with troops deploying at night.

A protester in the north of Mombasa has been wounded by a bullet

0915 GMT

The "boda-boda" motorbike taxis are still criss-crossing the border, but he says there is no sign of the 400-odd trucks that usually come through Malaba on their way from Kenya to the Ugandan capital, Kampala, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda with supplies.

There is a sense of anxiety in the town, he says, because of a shortage of basic commodities.

1315 GMT: US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana agree to urge Kenya's rival political parties to seek a coalition government, a Solana spokeswoman says.

1224 GMT: The BBC's Karen Allen, in Eldoret, describes coming across a burning house.

Neighbours described how the occupant - a lady from the Kikuyu tribe - had fled before her house was attacked, and had sought refuge in a shelter.

It's clear the political tensions are whipping up local community rivalries, our correspondent says.

1220 GMT: The BBC's Peter Greste, in Mombasa, says police have been fighting running battles with opposition supporters, firing live rounds over their heads.

We went to protest peacefully but we met a mob on the way and joined them

Boniface Ombongi

Eyewitness accounts

The protesters raged through the ramshackle slums of Bombolulu in northern Mombasa, demanding Raila Odinga be installed as president.

The scene was repeated across the port city, but police appeared to have contained the situation - by mid-afternoon there were no reports of looting and only two casualties.

1151 GMT: Attorney General Amos Wako calls for an independent investigation into vote results "immediately".

1138 GMT: Two opposition MPs are arrested in Kisumu, western Kenya, for mobilising people to stage a banned protest over the presidential election, police said.

1124 GMT: The UK foreign office advises against all but essential travel to Kenya.

Travel advice for UK nationals

1113 GMT: Two tourist flights set to leave for Kenya from the UK in the next 48 hours will be empty, tourism officials say. The planes will be bringing British nationals back from Kenya.

1112 GMT: An ODM leader, William Ruto, confirms Thursday's rally is off , saying: "We shall end our meeting here. As ODM we are peaceful people. We don't want any more lives lost. Our fight is not with ordinary Kenyans. Our fight is with Mwai Kibaki."

The rally is called off by the ODM

1101 GMT: The mass rally organised by the ODM is postponed until 8 January, a senior party official says, AFP news agency reports.

1026 GMT: Kenyan legislators backing President Mwai Kibaki urge the International Criminal Court to bring genocide charges against opposition leaders it blames for post-election ethnic violence, Reuters news agency reports.

Opposition leader Raila Odinga

0951 GMT: Kenyan opposition leaders leave their Nairobi headquarters en route to a scheduled rally, which police have banned, as a crowd of supporters surge behind them, a Reuters news agency witness says.

0915 GMT: A protester in the north of Mombasa has been wounded by a bullet, the BBC's Odiambo Joseph reports.

There have been running battles between the police and demonstrators carrying crude weapons and police have been firing live bullets in the air.

But police at the scene deny shooting anyone saying some of the crowd is armed with guns.

0903 GMT: The BBC's Ian Pannell, standing on a raised slope looking down on Kibera slum, a huge shanty town, says he can see a sea of rusty roofs trailing into the distance. Plumes of black smoking are rising from burning tyres.

Police use teargas on protesters

The police are firing teargas at the crowds which have been waving branches and chanting: "No Raila; no peace!" - in reference to the Orange Democratic Movement leader Raila Odinga - as they try to break through the police block to reach the ODM rally in Nairobi.

Earlier live shots were heard as officers fired into the air. But, he says, it is fair to say that so far, the police have managed to contain the situation.

0800 GMT: The BBC's Noel Mwakugu says as he drove into Nairobi from the west the towns on the outskirts of the capital seem empty.

Before he left Narok town, in the Maasai heartland, a planned demonstration hadn't started this morning, but people told him they were definitely going to go ahead with their march calling for President Mwai Kibaki to stand down.

What we are telling the ODM leaders is that the time for chest-thumping is not now

Police spokesman Eric Kiraithe
0545 GMT

The Narok to Nairobi highway, usually packed with tourists heading down to the Maasai Mara, was deserted and people in towns along the way were complaining about shortages of food because of the lack of transport since Sunday when the violence erupted.

He says this has also left many stranded - those trying to get home after the Christmas break or those who want to head back to the rural areas because many businesses have shut.

Police dressed in full anti-riot gear are manning the major entry roads into Nairobi to keep people from coming in for the ODM rally.

Some of the shops in Nairobi that had opened earlier this morning have started to close down in case of trouble.

Most of the city is deserted.

Excitement as Archbishop Tutu visits the ODM headquarters

0744 GMT: Five minutes ago Archbishop Desmond Tutu arrived at the Orange Democratic Movement's headquarters, journalist Patrick Smith tells the BBC.

As he got out of his car he was besieged by journalists. He said he was here to attend the All Africa Conference of Churches, but his mission was also to seek peace and reconciliation in Kenya.

He is now meeting with ODM leader Raila Odinga, and may also be seeing President Mwai Kibaki.

There is a lot of excitement about his presence.

0737 GMT: The BBC's Odiambo Joseph says in areas of the coastal city of Mombasa there have been running battles this morning between police and rowdy youths, most carrying placards showing pictures of Orange Democratic Movement leader Raila Odinga.

The police have fired tear gas into a crowd of about 500 people which is heading towards the tourist area of the city for a planned march to show their displeasure at the recent election results.

Wooden kiosks were set on fire in Kibera, Nairobi

0734 GMT: The BBC's Wazir Hamsin at the entrance to Kibera slum says it is blocked by police.

A crowd of about 300 people are chanting "No Raila; no peace!" and are calling for President Kibaki to stand down.

The number of those arriving is building up, but the police are not allowing them through.

Some people have lit fires, but so far he hasn't seen the police firing tear gas or using water canon - even though the crowd is charging the police line.

0610 GMT: The BBC's Ian Pannell on the front line between the police and the opposition supporters of Raila Odinga on the edge of Nairobi's Kibera slum says people can be heard cheering - vowing that they will attend the rally called by their leader.

But a solid wall of riot police in maroon helmets, batons, shields, tear gas and water canon, is vowing not to let them pass.

Earlier today, he says, the mood was peaceful. But it has already started to turn violent and very few people believe that today will pass without more violence.

0545 GMT: Kenya's police spokesman Eric Kiraithe says the country is reasonably calm this morning and in the last 24 hours there weren't reported incidents of violence in most of the provinces: Western, Nyanza and Coast.

Protesters were chanting: "No Raila; no peace!"

However, two deaths were reported in Nairobi where some informal settlements were burned - and in the Rift Valley there were also some skirmishes between supporters of different political parties.

He says the police have not authorised the ODM rally because of the situation on the ground.

"The gathering of any one political group will certainly invite retaliation from other groups and our efforts now are to calm down the situation," he told the BBC.

"What we are telling the ODM leaders is that the time for chest-thumping is not now; the time for intransigence is not now."

0539 GMT: Overnight Eldoret was quiet and there was little activity in the town, which has been the epicentre of the most shocking violence, the BBC's Wanyama wa Chebusira reports.

But he says he woke up to hundreds of post-election victims fleeingunder police escort.

There is a heavy security presence in this town.

0537 GMT: The BBC's Wazir Hamsin in Nairobi says as well as heavy security around Uhuru Park, where the Orange Democratic Movement rally is due to take place, there is a heavy presence at the city mortuary adjacent to the Kibera slum.

The other side of town seems calm. Shops are opening, roads leading to the town centre have been opened. He says he hasn't seen people walking in groups or assembling to go to the rally, which the government has banned.

All the newspapers today have the same headline: "Save our beloved country." The papers are appealing to political leaders to call for peace and to end the violence that has rocked the country.

0439 GMT: The BBC's Odiambo Joseph in Mombasa says there is a lot of tension in the city about what is going to happen today at the Orange Democratic rally in Nairobi. He says many men spent the night outside, not sleeping in their houses - a lot of vigilante groups have been formed, arming themselves with pangas, machetes and other crude weapons.

A few minutes ago he saw a load of police patrolling the area.

The provincial commissioner has also called on people to remain calm and assured them of security, and the Council of Imams and Preachers has issued a statement asking people not to resort to revenge missions.

0329 GMT: The BBC's Michael Kaloki returns from Nairobi's Kibera slum which he says is unusually quiet at a time of the morning when people would be walking around making their way to work.

He didn't see any police officers, there was an unusual calm. He then drove past Uhuru Park where the rally is due to take place at 1000 local time (0700 GMT). He saw police officers 2m apart lining the length of the park facing the Uhuru Highway, a main road into Nairobi. No-one was inside the park.

from BBC NEWS | World | Africa | At a glance: Kenya unrest

In Kenya, a spiral of killings - Los Angeles Times

 

 

Paramilitary troops throw tear gas at backers of the opposition Orange Democratic Movement in Mombasa, Kenya.

 

Many fear that the tribal tensions unleashed in the aftermath of the election will not be easy to contain.

NAIROBI, KENYA -- When Gabriel Okelo rose early Thursday to join a banned opposition rally, he did not take his machete. But he was sure he would be using it to kill again very soon.
Just the day before, he said, he had slashed two people to death because they were from a rival tribe.

Photo Gallery

Kenyans relive horror of church burning

It wasn't hard, he recalled. It was night, about 8, and he was among 50 other members of his Luo tribe who rampaged through a suburb nine miles east of Nairobi, the capital, named Uhuru -- "freedom" in Swahili.
"It is the first time I ever killed," said Okelo, who is about 20. "I never imagined it would come to this. It was not a planned thing at all.
"I was angry. When you are angry, it's easy."
Opposition leader Raila Odinga called the rally Thursday to protest what he claims is the rigging of last week's presidential election by incumbent Mwai Kibaki. Police used tear gas and a water cannon against protesters as they gathered, and Odinga postponed the demonstration. But he announced that one would take place today and every day until Kibaki leaves office.
Desmond Tutu, the South African Nobel Peace Prize laureate arrived Thursday, joining diplomats who were pressing for a political deal to end the violence. But many of those caught up in it, perpetrators and victims alike, feel it's too late. Life will not return to what it was.
There always has been an undercurrent of tribal tension in Kenya, but the East African country has avoided the kind of wholesale violence that has plagued nearby countries such as Rwanda. The dispute over the election, however, has left about 300 dead from Kisumu in the west to Mombasa on the Indian Ocean.
For Okelo, any deal with Kibaki is unthinkable now.
And to Jane Kagwiria, 32, sitting Thursday with her four children outside an air force base after she was forced to flee tribal violence in Nairobi's Mathare slum neighborhood, the chances of peace seemed to be ebbing away.
Odinga, like Okelo, is a Luo. Kibaki is a member of the Kikuyu tribe, Kenya's largest, which other ethnic groups accuse of having dominated politics and business here for decades.
But as days pass, more tribes are being caught up in the violence, and Odinga's ability to restrain it looks increasingly questionable.
Okelo said the ban on Thursday's rally would only worsen the violence. He was frustrated and angry: He had walked nine miles from his home to join the protest rally at Uhuru Park in downtown Nairobi, only to find the area blockaded by riot police.
Short and wiry, he spoke in soft tones -- but anger shone in his eyes. As he declared that he had been robbed of his rights, other protesters crowded around him, interjecting the opposition slogan: "No Raila, no peace!"
Some said they wanted guns.
"It's Kenya versus Kikuyus. We are slaughtering them and we will keep slaughtering them. It will go on and on and on in all parts of the country. It will be war. Religious leaders have been preaching peace. Peace, peace! But there's no justice," he said.
Okelo's claim that he had killed two people the night before could not be verified, but it is clear that there are young men all over Kenya committing similar deeds.
In the slums of Nairobi, corpses with ugly machete wounds keep turning up. Each morning, bodies lie like forgotten parcels in the alleys. But daylight brings no relief. In many areas, the Kikuyus are fighting back, evicting and killing Luos.
The emergency ward at Nairobi's Kenyatta National Hospital was in chaos Thursday, with doctors rushing about, assessing victims' chances for survival as they came in. Patients on trolleys crammed the entrance, most with machete cuts, burns or fractures.
Like other of the capital's slums, Mathare, where Kagwiria lived, is a sprawling maze of rusted corrugated-iron shacks. Its narrow clay alleys are heavy with the stench of open sewers and trash

By Robyn Dixon, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
January 4, 2008

Kibaki-Raila deal possible

South African Anglican Archbishop Desmond Tutu Friday hinted at the possibility of a coalition government as a way of ending Kenya’s political crisis.

President Kibaki and Archbishop Desmond Tutu after holding talks at State House, Nairobi, yesterday. The Archbishop said the President was willing to consider talks with the opposition on forming an all-inclusive government. Photo/PPS.

Archbishop Desmond, who met President Kibaki at Nairobi State House a day after holding talks with ODM leader Raila Odinga, gave hope for a negotiated settlement between the two parties on the disputed presidential elections.

According to the Archbishop, President Kibaki had indicated his willingness to explore the formation of a coalition government with his rivals.

As he spoke, ODM came up with their own plan which party Secretary General Anyang’ Nyong’o said could resolve the problem.

The proposal includes the formation of a transitional interim government to take charge of the country for three months and arrange fresh presidential elections.

Diplomatic efforts to find a negotiated settlement to the dispute was boosted with the expected arrival of the US government’s top African envoy in Nairobi on Friday.

Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Jendayi Frazer was expected in Kenya last evening.

Ahead of her visit, the American ambassador to Kenya, Mr Michael Ranneberger, held a meeting with President Kibaki at State House, Nairobi.

The flurry of diplomatic activity took place against a backdrop of a city coming back to life after days of violent confrontations between police and ODM supporters protesting the outcome of December 27’s presidential elections outcome. The Electoral Commission announced President Kibaki as the winner but the decision was immediately contested by the Orange democratic Party (ODM) whose supporters took to the streets in protest.

The security ring which had been placed around Nairobi City Centre was relaxed overnight allowing free movement of commuter buses, private vehicles and human traffic in and outside the city for the first time since Sunday.

The situation was the same in other major towns and cities in the country such as Kisumu, Eldoret and Kericho where violence has taken place. In Mombasa and Nairobi, there were brief skirmishes between police and some ODM leaders who sought to hold demonstrations but the huge rally planned for Uhuru Park did not take place.

The rally which had been called by ODM for Nairobi’s Uhuru Park failed to take place for the third straight day as police continued with their blockade of the venue.

The ODM leaders met at Pentagon House and announced that they were expecting a US envoy in the country as part of the international efforts to end the crisis.

Prof Nyong’o opposed any proposals for a coalition government preferring a transitional government to pave the way for fresh elections in three months.

At his news conference, Archbishop Tutu, a Nobel Peace Laureate, said President Kibaki was not opposed to a coalition government idea but instead called for an end to the widespread violence in order for negotiations with Mr Odinga to begin.

“The President is not averse to the formation of a coalition with the Opposition,” said the Archbishop.

Speaking after a three-hour meeting with the President at State House, the prelate said the Head of State had agreed to enter negotiations with Mr Odinga for the sake of peace.

And he expressed hope that following the meeting, the country would return to its former peaceful state, which he added, was an example to other countries in the region.

“Both the President and Mr Odinga have assured me that they are willing to enter into talks for the sake of peace in the country. That’s the way to go,” he said at a news conference in Nairobi.

He added: “We are optimistic that violence will soon come to an end in the country.”

At least 185 people have been killed and scores injured in the widespread post-election violence following protests over the release of the controversial election results, which gave President Kibaki a slim win over Mr Odinga.

During the meeting, said Archbishop Tutu, President Kibaki assured him that he would not stop anyone from seeking court intervention if they were not satisfied with the results.

President Kibaki, he added, also promised he will not misuse State instruments of power to intimidate his opponents.

Present during the State House meeting were Dr Nyansako-Ni-Nku, the president of the All African Conference of Churches (AACC) and Dr Brigalia Bam, the chair of the South African Electoral Commission.

Archbishop Tutu reiterated the need for political parties to reach out to each other for the sake of peace. “They should not wait for Parliament to be convened for this initiative to begin. It should be immediate,” he said.

He went on, “These leaders should put their acts together for the sake of peace in the country. It is women and children who are currently suffering.”

The main problem in the country, he said, lay in the fact that no party was willing to concede defeat in the elections.

ODM, he said, should accept that there’s already a governing authority in the country, which was maintaining peace and order.

“This is now not about who won the elections but how the country moves on afterwards. We will keep on praying for the country that peace prevails in these difficult circumstances,” said the Archbishop.

The Archbishop then briefly met Mwingi North MP-elect Kalonzo Musyoka before flying out of the country. Details of what they discussed were however, not, immediately available.

Meanwhile, the Anglican Church is calling for the establishment of an independent commission to recount and re-tally the results of the controversial general elections.

The head of the church Archbishop Benjamin Nzimbi at the same time called on President Kibaki and ODM leader Raila Odinga to talk in order to avert further chaos in the country.

“We urge the two leaders to open dialogue between themselves and give hope to the people as they sort out their existing differences,” said the Archbishop.

At a news conference in Nairobi Friday, Archbishop Nzimbi said the government should facilitate key political leaders to visit the affected areas in order to restore calm in those areas.

They further urged the government to urgently provide essential relief to the many displaced Kenyans who are in dire need of the basic commodities.

President Mwai Kibaki and Archbishop Desmond Tutu of South Africa called for an end to the post election violence in the country saying leaders from across the political divide must give dialogue a chance.

President Kibaki assured Archbishop Tutu that he was committed to political dialogue with members of other political parties.

At a meeting held at State House Nairobi today, the President Kibaki and Archbishop Tutu noted that there was urgent need to find a solution to the politically instigated violence. The two underlined the sanctity of human life noting that political protests must never be an excuse for killing innocent people.

They called on political leaders in the country to stop their supporters from engaging in violent acts, saying it was imperative that all Kenyans involve themselves in peace overtures so as to quickly restore sanity to the country.

President Kibaki reiterated that he was ready and willing to begin consultations and reach out to political party leaders to find solutions to contentious issues. He asked all leaders to cooperate, saying they must be seen to provide positive leadership at this challenging time in the history of the country.

President Kibaki said it was the responsibility of the government to first secure the country and ensure peace in order to allow for structured dialogue. He once again condemned the acts of violence saying it was despicable for some leaders to incite their people to burn a church where children and women were seeking refuge.

Emphasizing that sanity must prevail in the country, the President assured that the government would give priority to any petitions that will be made in regard to the just concluded general elections.

President Kibaki at the same time asked political leaders to respect the country’s institutions, noting these institutions have been the pillars of the country’s progress and stability over the years.

The meeting was also attended by Anglican Archbishop Benjamin Nzimbi and officials of the National Council of Churches of Kenya led by the General Secretary Canon Peter Karanja and Chairman Eliud Wabukala.

Reported by DAVE OPIYO, ODHIAMBO ORLALE and PPS

Story by NATION Team
Publication Date: 1/5/2008

Eyewitness accounts of Nairobi chaos

Angry crowds in Nairobi have dispersed following violent clashes between protesters and Kenyan police.

People across the capital have been updating the BBC website about their experiences throughout the day.

1530 GMT (1830 local time): BONFACE OMBONGI, 21, STUDENT

I did not return to town to continue with my protest. They postponed the rally until next week so I shall try to go then.

Police have fired tear gas on protesters

After the violence began to break out my friends and I left the scene. We all cycled back home on the main road and the city looked empty. We did not want to go back in. We decided to come home and have a peaceful day.

I am now in Kahawa where there is no violence. People are not chaotic here, they are just going about their jobs. I see people on the streets.

I watched on television about the violence continuing in the city and I was glad that I left the scene. But next week, I am prepared to rally and protest again.

Read Bonface's earlier account of taking part in the Nairobi protest.

1515 GMT: GEOFFREY OTIENO, 27, WEB DESIGNER

Geoffrey Otieno is trapped at work while violence rages outside

I am so relieved! Finally, I'm at my own place. I'm home. I left office at about 2.30 and I had to walk all the way home.

It took me three to four hours and I only just got home.

There was nothing on the way. There were no buses running just streets full of people walking home. It was the strangest sight. Shops were closed, the roads were quite empty of vehicles. We all walked home minding our own business.

I saw no signs of the earlier trouble or chaos. It was so peaceful really.

But I was still nervous after what I experienced earlier in the day. What could I do? I had to get home one way or another.

Now, I'm so glad to be home. I feel great happiness. There is no sign of violence here. I don't think I'm leaving this place tomorrow.

I'm staying right here at home.

Read Geoffrey's account of being trapped in his office during the chaos

1500GMT: ADOKA KINYODA, 39, AUDITOR

Adoka Kinyoda fled her home last night

I've heard that there is no-one in the city centre at the moment. I've just stayed indoors all day watching the news. I want to try and take a walk later on.

One of my housemates went outside and said that all the vegetable stalls and all the small shops and kiosks were closed. Everybody is gone.

Nairobi has become a ghost town.

I'll try to go to work tomorrow. If things are bad, I'll just come back home. We really want to get on with life.

But I won't be returning to my own permanent home for some time now, especially after my experiences last night. I heard that in that area today they burned down several kiosks. I think I will stay away from my home for some time.

The two opposing sides are reaching a stalemate I don't know how long this is going to go on for. I don't know for how long I won't be able to go inside my own front door.

Read Adoka's earlier experiences

---

1030 GMT: BONFACE OMBONGI, 21, STUDENT

I went to protest in the centre of Nairobi this morning. I was there with my friends. We went to protest peacefully but we met a mob on the way and joined them.

We were all going to Uhuru Park to make our views known. So we all travelled together.

The mob ran away and then they surged back again

The mob was full of ordinary men, just people from the slums of Kibera. We all wanted justice and we want to see Kibaki go. We just want our democratic rights and that is why we went to protest.

The police had blocked all the roads and they were surrounding U park. The whole place was looking like an army barracks.

At first we were just shouting slogans like "No Raila, No Peace". We were shouting that we wanted justice. Some of us were talking to the police, telling them that we come in peace.

But the situation was very tense.

There were about 200 people and the ODM supporters were trying to match up with the anti-riot police. They wanted the rally to go ahead.

For most of the time I was there, it was not that violent. The police just stood there. But when the mob tried to get into town the police shot tear gas at the mob. I saw one guy take a tear gas canister and throw it right back at the police.

At that point I felt it could get violent. I was a bit scared. So I left the protest and came to the outskirts of Nairobi. That was around 11.30am and I have not returned.

As I was leaving, the police shot more tear gas on the mob. The mob ran away and then they surged back again.

0930 GMT: GEOFFREY OTIENO, 27, WEB DESIGNER

I am trapped in my office and I am feeling really terrified. The crowds are outside at the gate and they are angry.

I was the only one of my office who turned up at work this morning and so I am here alone with the watchman who is at the gate and who is also really scared. I don't know how I can get out of this place.

The guys out there are really angry

My office is at Dunga road, near the Nyayo Stadium. That road is currently blocked and police are sitting there and they are shooting down towards Dunga road because that is where the crowd is. I know they are shooting tear gas canisters.

I can see the crowd shouting and running all over the place, just running around in chaos. They are making strange noises and screaming and I can hear gunshots ringing out from time to time.

It's mostly men on the streets and they are throwing stones back at the police and screaming at them.

Yesterday, everything was fine and guys were working. There was no roadblock on the way to work this morning. I didn't even carry my identity card. If the police catch me now, they will ask for that.

I think there is violence here because people are streaming out from the Kibera slums to get to the Uhuru Park. The guys out there are really angry.

0900 GMT: ADOKA KINYODA, 39, AUDITOR

I have fled my home to a distant suburb of Nairobi. It was not safe in my home district. I live close to the Kibera slums and what I saw last night really scared me.

Last night at 2am I heard shouts from my neighbours and when I looked out of my bedroom window, my blood went cold.

I saw men with machetes running towards our gate. I was absolutely terrified. They kept running towards our direction as if they were going to attack our houses. We heard that the people of Kibera had burned down the market.

I couldn't get through to the police so I moved out to a suburb close to the airport. Who knows? I may need to fly out of the country as well.

This morning I went to work. I passed Uhuru Park and saw that it was closed off by the paramilitary. Just the sight of them made me see that things were not going to be good. Everything was quiet, calm, an eerie calm.

But I heard reports of people having to walk back home last night and so I left work early otherwise I would have to pass through the city centre.

Now I am waiting out here while the centre of Nairobi is in utter chaos. I am so sad and disappointed in the current president. He has trampled on our rights. What was the use in us voting?

He is misusing power. He continues stepping on our heads and this is why people are coming out in anger.

This is raw anger. And people are saying: "We don't want you here. We want you to go."

lives turned upside down

Kenyans' lives turned upside down

By Noel Mwakugu
BBC News, Nairobi

Kenyans are bearing the brunt of the bloody post-election crisis as pressure mounts on President Mwai Kibaki and opposition leader Raila Odinga to hold talks.

Thousands who had travelled to the west of the country and the Rift Valley region for the Christmas holidays and to vote in the disputed 27 December poll remain stranded for a third week now.

Public transport has been shut down by vehicle owners weary of hooligans who have barricaded major highways, while fuel hikes have put prices beyond the reach of many private motorists.

Unless this situation is resolved I can assure you there will be no fuel in the town by the weekend

Petrol dealer Yusuf Warsame

My colleagues and I took three days to make what is usually a five-hour journey from the western city of Kisumu to the capital, Nairobi. There was palpable relief in the car as we finally drove through the Nairobi office gates.

Each attempt to leave Kisumu had been thwarted by violence along the main road to Nairobi, where cars were stoned or, in extreme situations, torched by rioters.

The situation is calmer now, but if motorists are not escorted by policemen, they have to pay "toll charges" to armed youth to access the highway.

To avoid it altogether, they must make their way through neglected and bumpy roads crossing the dense western forests.

Food rations

Kisumu has seen some the worst violence, with more than 100 protesters allegedly shot dead by the police. Petrol stations are selling available diesel at about $5 (£2.50) a litre up from $1 (50p).

There is a sense of fear and grief among those that fled

"Unless this situation is resolved I can assure you there will be no fuel in the town by the weekend," Yusuf Warsame, a petrol dealer, told the BBC.

Fuel transporters from the port city of Mombasa have halted their trucks to stay clear of potential arsonists, and fuel depots in the interior are not operating as staff have not made it back to work.

Food rations in many homes outside Nairobi are running short as most shops remain closed.

"At the moment we are surviving on fresh or sour milk and bread. We cannot get vegetables or flour," Stanley Serum, a resident of Narok town just outside the world-famous Maasai Mara national park, told the BBC News website.

In the capital, long lines of shoppers are queuing at tills in supermarkets that opened on Friday for the first time since the riots.

However, heavily armed policemen dressed in full anti-riot gear are patrolling the city streets and are keeping vigil at the Uhuru Park garden where the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) leaders had planned a rally and prayers.

Running shoes

Some residents who have been holed up in their homes throughout the week have taken an advantage of the calm to make their way to the few banks that have opened for business.

"Today I am happy to have reached the bank after trekking for about 15km from home. Now I will be able to replenish my food stock in the house," Purity Njeri said.

People ventured out on Friday in search of food

In town, the dress code for the few people who have reported to work has changed.

On normal weekdays, many Kenyans dress in elegant suits and smart shoes but these have been swapped for jeans and trainers.

"In view of the situation I have to be prepared to run if riot policemen charge or trek home if public transport is unavailable. I cannot do that in a suit," administrative worker Charles Otieno explained.

The air of uncertainty has left parents worried about whether their children should resume school next week.

"We want our leaders to nurture this precious commodity called peace," pleaded Francis Ng'ang'a, general secretary of the National Teachers' Union's general secretary.

Many students are among some 100,000 people who have been displaced from their homes in the ethnic-related violence.

For the families camped out in a Nairobi Air Force base, surrounded by their hastily saved belongings, life is unlikely to be the same again.

Having fled the Mathare slum flowing threats, they have lost their homes and livelihoods.

UK travel firms have canceled holidays to Kenya

At least 500 people will be affected by the cancellation

UK travel firms have cancelled holidays to Kenya until Monday, the Federation of Tour Operators (FTO) has announced.

An estimated 500 people will be hit by the move which comes amid continuing Foreign Office advice against all but essential travel to the country.

All major UK tour operators had already suspended holidays until Saturday.

The FTO said Monday was a major return-home day for UK tourists in Kenya and holiday airlines will send planes to bring people back.

We will be deciding over the weekend on holiday arrangements for the days after Monday

FTO spokesman Graham Lancaster

Britons anxious over trips

The east African country has been gripped by violent clashes in the wake of the disputed presidential election.

The Foreign Office has urged anyone in affected areas, including Mombasa, Eldoret and Kisumu, to remain indoors and to "exercise extreme caution".

Announcing the latest ban, FTO spokesman Graham Lancaster said: "Foreign Office advice against all but essential travel to Kenya is still in place and we thought it best to extend the cancellation dates."

He added: "About 500 people are affected by the cancellation of trips on Sunday and Monday. The FTO will be deciding over the weekend on holiday arrangements for the days after Monday."

Volatile

British Airways, Virgin Atlantic and Kenya Airways are continuing UK-Kenya scheduled services as normal.

The violence has been mainly confined to urban areas, well-away from the country's popular beach resorts and safari parks.

But many tourists have to travel through Mombasa or Nairobi to reach their destinations.

An increasingly popular tourist destination, about 200,000 Britons visited Kenya last year, with numbers peaking in late January and February.

Cancellations also mean UK holiday companies having to refund passengers who choose not to take or cannot be accommodated on alternative holidays.

The Foreign Office says on its travel advice website that the situation "remains volatile".

"There are reports that daily mass gatherings are being planned for Nairobi and other urban areas. Such gatherings could potentially turn violent," it adds.