Another Assasination?
ALERT: AN ODM MP HAS JUST BEEN SHOT DEAD BY A TRAFFIC POLICE OFFICER IN ELDORET.
UPDATE: It appears the killing is a crime of passion. The MP in question was apparently having an affair with the Policeman’s wife.
UPDATE #2: As noted by one reader who commented below, the officer also killed his wife and has [...]
Mass Evacuations Continue
A man salvaged an immaculate Kenyan flag within the ashes of a burning house. © Anne Holmes
Tuesday afternoon I was witness to a scene in Soweto Kibera, a slum of Nairobi, where an estimated 3,000 non-Kikuyus were asked to leave. Many packed their belongings and left their homes to take shelter by St. Judes Church [...]
Rift Valley Purges
A young man runs with a suitcase from burning houses in Nakuru. © Anne Holmes
I haven’t been able to post for the last few days as I have been in the Rift Valley and internet towers were down in Nakuru, and there was no connection to be had in Naivasha either. Violence erupted Thursday in [...]
Nothing is Sacred
Women cry during the mass funeral. © Anne Holmes
I started my day yesterday morning at the city morgue. ODM had called for a mass funeral and people who lost family members in the conflict gathered to load 28 coffins into cars and trucks. We made our way down Ngong road toward Ligi Ndogo Sportsground in [...]
Another Quiet Day
Monday was fairly quiet in Nairobi. In Kibera they began rebuilding the railway line that residents tore up over the weekend. Mathare North was bloody in the morning with 2 deaths and 7 injuries reported. Wednesday a mass is scheduled in downtown to mourn those who have died since the election and Thursday another mass [...]
The Situation is Getting Worse
A man brandishing a Machete in Mathari North speaks in front of a crowd. © Anne Holmes
Mathare North was an absolute nightmare today and it doesn’t look as though things will settle down anytime soon. ODM has called for a fresh round of mass action protests next week and killings have continued to occur at [...]
A Day of Quiet in Nairobi
An Ethiopian girl eats lunch at the refugee camp of Nairobi Fair Grounds. © Anne Holmes
The day was quiet throughout Nairobi with no reported clashes and people going about their business. No news is good news, as they say. The last two days we have been hearing reports that the Mungiki have been active in [...]
Last Day of Scheduled Protests Sees More Bloodshed
GSU and AP units charge into a residential section of Kibera shooting live ammunition and tear gas. © Anne Holmes
The last day of outlawed protests in Kenya saw a great deal of bloodshed in the Nairobi slum of Kibera. MSF has reported 15 gunshot wounds, and three deaths at the time of writing. Police and [...]
Violence in Mathare Left Several Injured
I just received an eye witness report from a credible source on the ground who said last night in Mathare several people had been seriously injured with machetes, probably by Mungiki gang members who traditionally provide vigilante security services. One man lost a hand in the incidents and is in hospital now. The Mungiki are [...]
UPDATED: Door to Door Raids and Police Brutality Leave Five Injured and one dead in Kibera
Military and police forces harassed residents of Kibera. © Anne Holmes
Another day of violence in Kibera left one dead and five wounded according to MSF. In the Nairobi slum of Kibera, where I spent the whole day, police used tear gas and live ammunition on protesters. I saw three young men with bullet wounds, two [...]
Fiirst Day of ODM Scheduled Protests Brings More Violence
A large group of people who alleged a mob was trying to loot them, gathered to watch as police moved in to fend the others off. © Anne Holmes
At around 3 p.m. two leading members of opposition leader Raila Odinga’s party entered downtown Nairobi. Their presence attracted a small crowd of people who began following [...]
ODM Wins House Speakers
Mini Pub, West Nairobi. © Anne Holmes
Local Nairobi residents celebrated last night when parliamentary election results announced Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) party members won both House and Deputy Speaker positions. This is sure to appease anger a bit, but did not seem to deter any of those present from preparing to hit the streets today [...]
Open Letter by Shailja Patel
An Open Letter to SAMUEL KIVUITU, Chairman of Electoral Commission of Kenya from Shailja Patel.
Dear Mr. Kivuitu,
We’ve never met. It’s unlikely we ever will. But, like every other Kenyan, I will remember you for the rest of my life. The nausea I feel at the mention of your name may recede. The bitterness and grief [...]
