Carsten:

I hear what you (and others in news articles onlines) are saying. Unfortunately at this point I don't believe a word of it.

I have personally heard from a few people. One felt the need to return to western Kenya to help his tribe mates go after Kikuyus. Another wanted to go after a few Luos and circumcise them (and these are religious people!). It started with the elections, yes. When the elections went sour and people realized there would be no change in the presidency, the tribal animosity became more obvious. But now there is such a disparity and hatred among some of the tribes that it scares me. I have sent many emails back to just sit tight, don't join the demonstrations, don't do any stupid you will regret later because neither of the politicians is worth your life .

I may "eat crow" when I get back and admit you were right and I was wrong, but from what I've learned so far, I still feel there is a very strong tribal element in this.

Kenya's streets tense after bloody protests

January 19 2008 at 02:45PM

By C. Bryson Hull

Nairobi - Kenyan riot police patrolled the capital on Saturday after at least 23 people were killed mostly by police, in three days of protests called by the opposition over a disputed election.

Tension stayed high despite opposition leader Raila Odinga's statement on Friday that his Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) would take its fight off the streets and use other channels, including talks with African leaders and economic boycotts.

About 650 people have been killed since President Mwai Kibaki won a disputed December 27 election, mostly in police action against banned protests and attacks on tribes seen as backing him. Human rights groups have decried both types of killing.

Police commissioner Hussein Ali on Saturday said he was sending a team to investigate the police shooting of two unarmed protesters in the western city of Kisumu, captured in dramatic TV footage. The investigators' report is due on Febuary 1.

The video shows an officer shooting two young men from a group that had thrown stones, one of whom made faces at him. He then twice kicks one of the men, who tried to stand up. ODM called it "a cold-blooded execution."

Odinga says Kibaki stole the closest-ever election in the east African nation from him. International observers say the count was so chaotic it was impossible to tell who won, and the government says the ODM also rigged votes.

In Narok town, paramilitaries guarded empty streets after hundreds of members of Kibaki's Kikuyu tribe armed with machetes had faced pro-opposition Maasais with bows and arrows.

A total of six people died on Friday as the two sides fought, and homes were torched in the town, gateway to the Maasai Mara game park.

"The police are here... but they are not enough. The Maasai came in a group of several hundred in broad daylight yesterday. They were using machetes to kill," fuel station owner Vinod Patel said.

Patel said he saw 10 bodies hacked with machetes. In scenes now familiar in Kenya, people piled high on a truck with their possessions rolled out of town. Scorched earth surrounded the Majengo suburb where the fighting occurred.

Shops open, no money

Kenya's paroxysm of violence, captured in TV images showing police shooting, tear gassing and beating protesters, has seriously damaged its democratic reputation, prompted threats of aid cuts and harmed one of Africa's strongest economies.

Roughly 250 000 have been forced from their homes in ethnic attacks, the bulk of them in the pro-opposition Rift Valley. A policeman was killed there on Friday by an arrow, police said.

Paramilitaries in riot gear marched through downtown Nairobi, where for the past three days business closed early as police fired tear gas and chased protesters.

Nairobi's Mathare and Kibera slums were quiet, and in the opposition stronghold of Kisumu, scene of some of the worst police action and earlier rioting, was coming back to life.

"Shops are open, people have flocked into the streets but there is no money," vendor Silwa Opido, 42, said as she balanced a basket of bananas on her head. "People have nothing in their pockets because no one has worked since Kibaki stole the votes."

The opposition and human rights groups blame Kenyan police for most of the killing during the protests, including the deaths of schoolchildren in Nairobi and Kisumu.

Both of Kenya's main newspapers in editorials on Saturday blasted police conduct. The Nation called it "simply horrific."

Police say they have only shot rioters and looters, and deny shooting indiscriminately.

Police spokesman Eric Kiraithe told reporters 510 people had been killed since violence erupted around election day, and of those 87 died at police hands. He said 70 percent of deaths were in the Rift Valley.

The government, in a statement on Friday, said it planned to form a truth and reconciliation commission and ask the government's human rights commission to carry out independent investigations into the violence.

Several African leaders are shuttling between Kibaki and Odinga's camps, and former U.N. head Kofi Annan is due to arrive on Tuesday to begin talks.

Additional reporting by Nick Tattersall in Narok, Guled Mohamed in Kisumu; editing by Peter Millership

iol.co.za

West urge Kenya to halt civilian killings

January 18 2008 at 06:54PM

Nairobi - Nine western governments, including Australia, Britain and Canada, on Friday urged Kenya to stop killing unarmed civilians, a joint statement said, as the death toll from three days of clashes between police and demonstrators hit 24.

"We urge security forces to exercise their duties strictly within the boundaries of law and desist from any extraordinary or disproportionate use of force and, in particular, the killing of unarmed protestors," it said.

"We have seen clear and disturbing footage of the use of lethal force on unarmed demonstrators," added the statement issued by Australia, Canada, Denmark, Finland, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom missions in Kenya. - Sapa-AFP

iol.co.za

yesterday the latest "stern" magazine (a very respected magazine far away from tabloid!) published a whole lot of pages on kenya's crises after the election. it's devastating! as the magazing is published in the hundred thousends of copies i am sure germans think twice to book a trip to kenya now!
the journalists have researched in eldoret and some other parts of the rift valley. there are supposed "warriors" in the woods armed with bows and poisened arrows who start hunting kikuyu each and every night after dark. the chiefs of these warrror groups say there is no option but to kill each and every kikuyu then get their hands on. eldoret' hospital says at least more than 1.100 people have been killed. they are rottening in the woods, in the streets and get eaten by roaming dogs..............
neighbors kill each other despite being friends till dec. they simply say "we were friends for our whole life but now we cannot other then killing them in order to make them finally pay for what they have done to us...... they stole our land, our pride and our future.........now the time has come for them to pay"
it's really scary when you read this. it really sounds like ruanda in the 90ies........

Jambo all,

Its amazing how many friends are out there all praying for our beloved country. What is happening here is unbelievable. Whats more, I am appalled to hear of how some of your regular tour operators are behaving. Here is an expamle of responsible tour operatorism (if there is sucha word).

The owners of Twiga Tours are great personal freinds of mine and have always gone out of their way to arrange amazing safaris for myself and my friends. I was recently at a dinner with them and of course the current situation came up. As far as hotel and lodge cancealltions go, KATO has issued a circular to all its members. An agreement was reached with hotelier that any cancelations arising as a result of the current situation. As far as KATO members are ocncerned, any cancellation received up until yesterday were subject to 0% cancellation fees - that included all bookings since this crisis began to as far as July/August/September. I don't know if the deadline has been extended but I think it will be in due course if the situation continues as is. The hotels have offered credit notes to the tour operators, including twiga Tours who like everyone else received numerous cancellations. HOwever, Twiga Tours has refunded and are still refunding any deposits paid by any client, through an agent or direct, international or local, should htey wish to cancel. If other tour operators are not refunding the deposits, then they are now making it worse for themselves and the destination as a whole. Maybe you should remind them of the circular received from KATO in January.

However, Twiga Tours has also managed to retain a number of their bookings including clients from Europe and America. I understand some arrived mid this week while others finished their safari and left yesterday. The group that left yesterday had no problems whatsoever while in the country.

Politics is a difficult game for the ordinary citizen to understand and is also the cause of the ordinary citizens' biggest troubles. However, the question now remains - how do we get through to these politicians who have cause so much damage to this beautiful country? With all that is going on, it is clear that these politicians only have their own agendas in mind and care little for the country. Neither one of them is fit to be the President of our beautiful land.

Taz:

Thanks for posting. I've also learned that KATO has been pushing KWS not to implement their park increase in view of what has been happening. It will be interesting to see if it takes effect. I think the savy tour operators know that if they refund, it will stand them in good stead for the future. Had they decided to keep the fees, people would decide to go elsewhere in the future instead of re-booking.

As to the politicians, I don't have much hope. Even having meetings with Kofi Anan, they are still spewing their same old lines and not giving in. Short of the military taking over, at this time I can't see them working together.

My main concern is with the people themselves. For the short term millions will need help with food and shelter. In the long term, how on earth are these people going to regain their trust of people again? Though tribal differences were an undercurrent before, at least people tried getting along. But after these atrocities, how on earth can they learn to live side by side in the future? And, for those who have contributed to the killings, they may have long-term problems. Whenever you read an interview with someone who has killed before, whether it be in a military situation, traffic death, or whatever, they never really get over it and it remains to haunt them forever.

And Taz, I have a question for you who are on the ground and in the know in Kenya. I have already had requests from some in Kenya I know begging for help monetarily to help them get by. These were people who formerly had jobs but have been laid off with no hope. I have always been a good tipper and will continue to be, but how do I respond if many people ask for help when I'm there? I can't help everyone, though I would love to be able to do so. How do I respond that doesn't sound compassionless?

God bless Kenya!