Police evacuate city centre ahead of march

  1. Posted on Wednesday 16 January 2008 - 14:49
    AfricaNews editor
    Munene Kilongi, Nairobi, Kenya
    [MOBILE VIDEO] Two people were shot dead in the lakeside city of Kisumu as countrywide rallies by opposition ODM party broke out in several cities and towns.
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    Nairobians were caught unaware this evening as riot police in full gear went round telling people to close their businesses and go home reducing the city to a ghost town in a matter of minutes.

     Raila Odinga whose ODM party won the speaker and Deputy speaker seat through a slim margin in parliament yesterday vowed the rallies are still on. They are scheduled for tomorrow and Friday.

    See also Live updates on protests

    See more videos on post-election Kenya and on the whole election coverage


    Keywords: kenya_elections

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  1. Posted on Wednesday 16 January 2008 16:05
    Ben
    Image of Ben
    Police evacuate city centre ahead of march
    Nairobi city centre: 14:44 pm 01/16/08

    [MOBILE VIDEO] Munene Kilongi, Nairobi, Kenya -Two people were shot dead in the lakeside city of Kisumu as countrywide rallies by opposition ODM party broke out in several cities and towns. Nairobians were caught unaware this evening as riot police in full gear shut down shops.

    Nairobians were caught unaware this evening as riot police in full gear went round telling people to close their businesses and go home reducing the city to a ghost town in a matter of minutes.

    Raila Odinga whose ODM party won the speaker and Deputy speaker seat through a slim margin in parliament yesterday vowed the rallies are still on. They are scheduled for tomorrow and Friday. View the video

    Three reported shot in Lingata, ODM leadership at Uhuru Park
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  2. Posted on Wednesday 16 January 2008 16:05
    Ben
    Image of Ben
    Rain might force march postponement
    Nairobi/ Uhuru Park: 13:59 pm 01/16/08

    Journalist at Uhuru Park contacted on phone: "After a terrible rain of this morning, the sun has started shining and protesters are gathering little by little at Uhuru Park despite police efforts to block them. Thousands are marching to the Uhuru Park but police had established roadblocks at various places. Three people have just been shot down by police in Lingata, the constituency of presidential candidate and opposition leader Raila Odinga.

    We are fifty journalists both local and international. A colleague from CNN has received a projectile from the police on his back. It is not serious we’re still together. There are around 200 civilians at this moment, including some members of the ODM leadership, including the movement’s number 3 William Ruto. They say the rally will go on for several days until their demands are met. Here at Uhuru Park there are around 1,000 police on high alert, shooting tear gas even on us".
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  3. Posted on Wednesday 16 January 2008 16:06
    Ben
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    Marching towards town, clashes reported
    Nairobi: 13:20 pm 01/16/08

    SMS from a journalist in Nairobi : "We are gathering information from the ground that people are marching towards town. People are flowing out of places like Kibera and heading to town. There have been some clashes on Kenyatta Avenue and teargas has been used"
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  4. Posted on Wednesday 16 January 2008 16:06
    Ben
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    Kenya preparing for new wave of protests
    Nairobi: 12:14 pm 01/16/08

    Journalist in Nairobi city centre contacted on phone: "It is not yet official if Raila's rally in Nairobi has been postponed. They are still in a meeting brainstorming if it is prudent they hold the rally or not. Here in Nairobi it is raining hard, I'm not sure if it is possible to hold the rally in this condition but I'm waiting for communication from their press officer who says it is still on."
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  5. Posted on Wednesday 16 January 2008 16:07
    Ben
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    The police has banned the protests and has called them “inappropriate”.
    Nairobi: 11:10 pm 01/16/08

    The expected rallies against last month's disputed presidential poll have prompted riot police patrols in the streets of 30 cities and towns in Kenya. The Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) made clear that it continues with the protests, despite a police ban.

    According to the BBC there were no signs in the morning of large crowds gathering in the capital, Nairobi. Kenneth Marende, ODM newly elected speaker of the parliament said that opposition's dominance of parliament would make it difficult for President Mwai Kibaki's PNU party to impose itself, and that it might be forced into forming a coalition.

    Mr Marende also told the BBC that the ODM had the constitutional right to begin three days of protests against the election. Opposition supporters, many of them from the slums of Nairobi, hope to march on the city's politically symbolic Uhuru Park.

    "People are anticipating chaos and many of them will go to the rallies," one resident of Nairobi's Mathare slum reported to the Reuters news agency. A great number of armed police are stationed around the park, but the police presence remains minimal compared to Tuesday, when the large parts of the business districts in the city’s where isolated as members of parliament were being sworn in.

    According to the BBC news there have been reports of battles between police and protesters in the city of Mambasa. The activists are also sitting armed with placards and white ribbons at the main roads leading to the city.
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