UK: Kenyans in the UK petition Prime MInister Gordon Brown to help find peaceful solution for Kenya

Record ID: 361391

  • Title: UK: Kenyans in the UK petition Prime MInister Gordon Brown to help find peaceful solution for Kenya
  • Date: 7th January 2008
  • Summary: STREET SIGN 'DOWNING STREET'
  • Embargoed: 22nd January 2008 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Topics: International Relations
  • Reuters ID: LVA3E86PO8U1XHLZN94QEYM9JXXI
  • Story Text: Kenyans in the UK deliver petition to pressure Downing Street into getting involved in finding a solution to the political and humanitarian crisis in their country.
    Around 100 people - Kenyans living in the UK and supporters - walked from Westminster to Downing Street, the seat of the British Prime Minister, to deliver a petition calling on British Prime Minister Gordon Brown to use his influence to work out a solution to the political and humanitarian crisis in their country.
    For many years Kenya has been the beacon of hope for Africa, said the first African MP in the UK, the councillor for Kensington and Chelsea, Marianne Alapini. "The ripples of pain are going out throughout all our community and we mustn't have all the bloodshed of one more single Kenyan," she voiced the sentiment of many at the rally.
    And the organiser of the rally, London lawyer Ronald Onyango said that the reason for being there was to call upon Brown to use his influence to intervene in this situation. He said Kenyan in the UK cannot tolerate the situation in Kenya. "Because us Kenyans who are in the UK, yes, we could not vote, but people in Kenya have exercised their democratic right by voting.
    The least we can do for them is to come here and use our position and show that we are in solidarity with them," said Onyango.
    The rally was supported by followers of opposite political side in Kenya. Supporters of President Kibaki took part as well as supporters of challenger Odinga. Some regarded it as a political issue, some as a tribal one, but all stood for a peaceful solution.
    From Downing Street the rally moved on to the Kenyan High Commission but could not get anyone to answer them.
    On Sunday (January 6) night Brown urged political leaders in Kenya to move "urgently" to talks to bring an end to the bloodshed following the east African country's disputed elections.
    The country was comparatively calm following the violence of recent days as opposition leader Raila Odinga said he was ready to take part in mediated talks with President Mwai Kibaki, whom he accuses of rigging last month's poll.
    British charities on Monday (January 7) were continuing their efforts to help people made homeless by the violence in Kenya.
    Medical aid organisation Merlin warned that supplies of food and clean water were running "dangerously low", sparking fears of health risks from diarrhoea, infection and dehydration.
    Some 250,000 to 300,000 people have been displaced by the fighting.
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