- Title: KENYA: Political stalemate as Kenyans flee violence and tourists leave
- Date: 5th January 2008
- Summary: (BN10) KISUMU, KENYA (JANUARY 5, 2008) (REUTERS) BUSES TO FERRY DISPLACED PEOPLE/ DISPLACED PEOPLE WITH THEIR BELONGINGS VARIOUS OF DISPLACED PEOPLE WALK WITH BAGGAGE TO BOARD BUSES DISPLACED PEOPLE QUEUE TO BOARD A BUS DISPLACED PEOPLE BOARD BUS
- Embargoed: 20th January 2008 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Kenya
- Country: Kenya
- Topics: War / Fighting,Domestic Politics
- Reuters ID: LVAC3GIW87M868XUZBSFKD02KOTN
- Story Text: Hundreds of people from communities sympathetic to Kenyan President Mwai Kibaki boarded buses in the western town of Kisumu on Saturday (January 5), fearing a surge of ethnic violence that has rocked one of east Africa's most stable democracies.
Those fleeing violence were mostly Kikuyus, Kisiis and Kambas.
They have paid at least 1000 Kenya shillings (14 U.S. dollars) for a bus ticket to get away from the city, home to opposition leader, Raila Odinga, which has become a violent hot-spot as political differences became a cover for violence against Kibaki's Kikuyu tribe and backers of the ruling party.
In five days protests and ethnic violence have killed more than 300 people following the re-election of Kibaki. Many disaffected youth are furious at what they say was a stolen vote.
Angry pro-opposition mobs from the Luo tribe that populates most of that part of Kenya, have had running battles with police and looted and burnt businesses and property worth millions of dollars.
The United Nations says post-election riots have uprooted 250,000 people -- far more than previously feared.
In Nairobi, members of the paramilitary General Service Unit patrolled inside Kenya's largest slum, Kibera, as calm returned to the city after a week of daily protests.
U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Jendayi Frazer, Washington's top diplomat for Africa, held separate meetings with Kibaki and Odinga on Saturday.
Kibaki said on Saturday he was ready to form a national unity government to end Kenya's bloody turmoil and that it would accept a re-run of the Dec. 27 polls, if a court ordered it. But the opposition brushed the offer aside, saying he must step down and negotiate.
Odinga reiterated the opposition's demands that a transitional government be formed to prepare for a new presidential vote within three to six months.
"The American government knows clearly what transpired, because there were American observers here. They know that the elections were rigged.
The French actually called it theft of democracy, so what they are trying to do is to find a solution. But they can only make suggestions, ultimately the solutions of these problems must be found by Kenyans themselves," Odinga told reporters.
The World Bank has said the unrest could hurt Kenya's impressive economic gains and harm neighbouring countries that rely on it as the region's business and transport hub.
Tourists cut short holidays in Kenya's coast following recent post-election violence, as more losses are expected to hit the sector which is the country's largest foreign exchange earner.
"How I feel, I feel very sad. I feel sad I have been crying a lot.
I got to know very many lovely people. Its a lovely country, I want to come back." said Asa Kock, a Swedish tourist leaving the country.
The British, U.S. and other Western governments have issued a travel advisory on Kenya warning their nationals to avoid all but essential travel here.
The tourism sector contributes some 800 million U.S. dollars a year to the economy -- Kenya's top foreign exchange earner. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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