The opposition has step up its offensive against the government accusing the police of executing peaceful protesters in Kisumu and Nairobi and has announced new rounds of protests. Today the ODM leadership is headed to the Lake-side city of Kisumu where more than 40 people have been killed by police in the past three weeks of post-election violence.

Pray for the dead

The ODM announced that it will hold inter-denomination prayers for those executed by police in Kisumu and in Nairobi on Tuesday before making another attempt to enter Uhuru park on Thursday.

The current political deadlock has been blamed to President Mwai Kibaki who maintains that he won the December 27 elections and has maintained that any contestation of the December vote should be determined by the courts.

While addressing his supporters soon after attending a church service in Kibera on Sunday, ODM leader Raila Odinga maintained that the December vote count was marred by irregularities and was in violation of the people’s right to participate in a democratic process to elect a leader of their choice. Raila assured that he was willing to enter into negotiations with President Kibaki.

Observers unanimous on irregularity

International observers led by the EU and the Commonwealth observer mission have dismissed the December polls citing incidents allegations of rigging at the tallying station. The United Nations has also disowned the manner in which the ECK conducted the elections.

Flanked by other opposition members and ODM Pentagon member William Ruto, ODM chairman Henry Kosgei called the vote-mistake and the government's stance a display of intolerance and betrayal to the democratic gains.

"The government is not committed to mediation," he said.  "Its members have taken a hard stance and have vowed to cling to power at whatever cost. Kibaki has appointed losers and his juniors to meet on their terms that they expect us to follow like children. We will not talk to them and our leader Raila Odinga has said again and again that there will be no mediation without justice. They are shifting goal posts by delaying the talks in their own selfish interests."

At least 700 people have been killed and more than 300,000 displaced in violence that erupted since the December polls were disputed by a section of foreign and local observers.

Efforts by Ghana President John Kufuor to spear head mediation talks hit a snag after he failed to achieve a compromise between the two protagonists.

President Kibaki on Friday named several members of his new government to seat in a mediation committee led by Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka who the opposition has vowed not to meet.

See the latest updates about Kenya protests
 view the mobile video about police storming Nairobi city centre ahead of protest (Day 2)

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