From: barnhart@ddsw1.MCS.COM (Mr. Aaron Barnhart)
Subject: IPS:KENYA: THREAT OF ELECTION VIOLENCE MOUNTS
Date: Tue, 5 Jan 1993 14:01:06 GMT
Organization: Evanston, Illinois, U.S.A.

Copyright Inter Press Service 1993, all rights reserved.  Permission to re-
print within 7 days of original date only with permission from 'newsdesk'.

Area: Africa, east
Reference: Population
Title: KENYA: THREAT OF ELECTION VIOLENCE MOUNTS


nairobi, dec 28 (ips/horace awori) -- as violence erupted
in some parts of kenya over the weekend, the 150 international
observers were briefed on evacuation plans in case of violent
clashes during and after tuesday's elections.

the observers from the united nations, the commonwealth and
the international republican insitute in the united states have
been advised to seek refugee in churches, offices of relief
agencies or refugee camps should the looming threat of violence
actually take place, according to one western diplomat here.

the diplomat, who did not wish to be named, told ips monday
the observers have given copies of their passports and other
personal details to their embassies.

for easy identification, the observers have been issued with
specially marked t-shirts and stickers for their vehicles,
newspapers reported here monday. their embassies have also laid
on contingency evacuation plans in case of violence.

all this comes in the wake of serious violent incidents
across this east african nation of 24 million people as
politicians frantically wound up their campaigns.

the worst incident occurred in homa bay where forum for the
restoration of democracy (ford)-kenya supporters set on fire a
bus owned by an official of the ruling kenya african national
union (kanu).

the mob was reacting to an unexpected visit to the area by
president daniel arap moi, who is the kanu leader.

in the same area, transport minister dalmas otieno had to
flee from a church service when ford-kenya supporters surrounded
the church and began petting it with stones. police had to fire
in the air to disperse the crowd.

in kimilili, western province, agruculture minister elijah
mwangale had to run under tight security from angry protetors.
the minister had stopped at the local market and tried to wave
the kanu symbol to the crowds.

in the rift valley province consistuency of eldoret north,
democratic party candidate daniel tanui and eight supporters
were beaten up by kanu supporters sunday, while in kisii
district, nyanza province, four local administration policemen
were stabbed by unknown persons. (more/ips)


kenya: threat (2)

in nairobi, the capital, police had to shoot in the air to
disperse an angry mob that threatened the kanu candidate for
dagoretti constituency, clement gachanja.

police sources say the mob was made up of ford-asili
supporters as the constituency is the party's stronghold.

ford-asili party leader kenneth matiba has appealed to his
supporters to maintain peace. ''we must remove moi by ballot'',
he told a party rally in kisii sunday, ''and not by violence or
hooliganism''.

last week about 10 people were killed and 5,000 others
rendered homeless in a fresh outbreak of violence in burnt
forest, about 300 km west of this kenyan capital.

the violence came after a kanu official told the people in
the area to let only the indigenous kalenjin people (moi's
ethnic group) to run for office in the area.

opposition parties immediately criticised the official and
said the violence was purposely started to scare away the other
communities and miss the opportunity to vote.

at political rallies he addressed in western kenya sunday,
moi banned the movement of lorries monday night to ''prevent
the importation of voters'' from outside constituencies.

the unregistered islamic party of kenya (ipk) has imposed its
own ban on movement of vehicles into its stronghold, mombasa, to
prevent kanu from bringing in its supporters ''to rig the
elections'', according to ipk mombasa branch chair, abubakar
awadh.

police commissioner philip kilonzo has not reacted to the
ipk ban threat.

kenyans are also worried by the opposition's declaration
sunday that it planned riots in three major urban centres --
kericho, kisii and kisumu -- to disrupt the elections tuesday.

not to be outdone, moi has accused an unnamed western envoy
of visiting the mathare slum area of nairobi to urge the people
to ''come out, stage riots and loot the city if kanu wins''.

the western diplomats have dismissed the allegation as
unfounded. one envoy, who did not wish to be identified, told
ips monday: ''at this tense moment, we expect all sorts of
accusations but this is the height of folly''.
(end/ips/ha/apc/92)