From: barnhart@ddsw1.MCS.COM (Mr. Aaron Barnhart)
Subject: IPS:KENYA: POLITICAL VIOLENCE ROCKS NATION AS ELECTIONS APPROACH
Date: Sat, 21 Nov 1992 16:40:55 GMT
Organization: Evanston, Illinois, U.S.A.

Copyright Inter Press Service 1992, all rights reserved.  Permission to re-
print within 7 days of original date only with permission from 'newsdesk'.

Title: KENYA: POLITICAL VIOLENCE ROCKS NATION AS ELECTIONS APPROACH


an inter press service feature

by horace awori

nairobi, nov 13 (ips) -- at least 10 people were killed this
week in a spate of political violence around kenya as parties
hastened to meet friday's deadline for nomination of candidates
for the forthcoming general elections.

struggling to remain in power, the ruling kenya african
national union (kanu) is generally blamed for stirring the
violence to upset election ambitions of opposition parties.

recalling the politically inspired ethnic clashes in which
over 700 people were massacred in kenya early this year, a
nairobi-based academic, professor ogola osolo told ips that
violence in the run-up to the elections spells disaster.

it is believed kanu and government officials instigated the
clashes which engulfed western kenya from january to june.
president daniel arap moi's own people, the kalenjin, wanted to
drive other communities out of the rift valley.

''we want a peaceful change of government'', he said,
insisting that only kanu stood to gain from violence because
''if it enganges in violence people may fear to turn out for the
polls to vote its candidates out''.

in meru district of eastern province, five persons were
killed after a local chief ordered the police to fire at a rowdy
crowd which opposed the nomination of cabinet minister jackson
angaine as kanu parliamentary candidate for the area.

but, angaine, a self-styled king of meru district, was
defeated in the nomination exercise by trade unionist silas
muruiki.

the chief and the police involved in the shooting have been
arrested and investigations were under way, according to a
spokesperson of the police force here.

in langata constituency of nairobi one person was killed
after violence erupted at a rally called by ford-kenya
opposition party.

''there have been ugly incidents in mombasa, kakamega, nyeri,
south nyanza and lamu -- right across the country -- and all
parties are to blame'', said eric masinde, a political science
lecturer at kenyatta university.

the lecturer's assertion may be true, but many observers here
hold unruly kanu supporters culpable for the violence.
(more/ips)


kenya: political (2)

meanwhile, democratic party (dp) leader mwai kibaki has
warned that the ''culture of violence will not derail the
opposition'' from its goal of removing kanu from power.

reaffirming dp's commitment to a peaceful transition to a
multiparty system in kenya, he has urged his party members to
abstain from all acts of violence.

''by rejecting violence, the people will be sending clear
signals to the kanu regime that the nation wants peace and will
press on for democratic change through peaceful means'', the
former kenyan vice president said.

kibaki was reacting to wednesday's attempted assassination of
dp secretary general john keen who intends to stand for kajiado
north parliamentary seat, in rift valley province. kenya's vice
president, george saitoti, is contesting the same seat.

keen, who escaped a gunshot but was ambushed by stone
throwers while touring the constituency, said later that he was
not deterred by such a cowardly attack. ''i am going back on the
campaign trail tomorrow and they can try again if they wish''.

kibaki condemned the attack, blaming it on moi, saitoti ''and
the remnants of the kanu sycophancy''.

according to the dp leader, the killing of five people in
meru district and the attack on keen were ''indications that moi
and his henchmen intended to unleash untold suffering and
violence on the innocent people of kenya''.

tension still grips the east african nation even after the
high court in nairobi ruled thursday that the period for
nomination of party candidates for the civic and parliamentary
elections be extended.

nominations were due to close friday, 10 days after
government announced that elections will be held dec. 7.

the court ruling followed a petition by ford kenya that
government had violated the elections act which says political
parties should be given not less than 21 days to nominate
candidates for general elections. (end/ips/ha/ar/92)
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