At least 19 die on election day in Kenya
Source: Agencies |
March 5, 2013, Tuesday
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AS millions of Kenyans waited in long lines to vote in the nation's presidential election yesterday, officials said a secessionist group on the coast launched multiple attacks killing at least 19 people.
Yesterday was Kenya's first presidential election since more than 1,000 people died in postelection attacks five years ago, and officials have been working to prevent a repeat of the massive violence.
A group of 200 secessionists armed with guns, machetes and bows and arrows set a trap for police in the coastal city of Mombasa in the pre-dawn hours, Inspector General David Kimaiyo said.
Four police were hacked to death with machetes, coast police boss Aggrey Adoli said.
The secessionist group - the Mombasa Republican Council - had threatened election day attacks, and Kimaiyo said police were planning a raid "that will see the end of the MRC."
The MRC believes Kenya's coast should be an independent country. Their cause, which is not defined by religion, is fueled by the belief that political leaders in Nairobi have taken the coast's land for themselves, impoverishing indigenous residents.
In addition to the attack in Mombasa, police blamed the MRC for three deadly attacks in nearby Kilifi.
Four police and three MRC members died in Mombasa, while seven MRC members, six government officials and two civilians died in the three attacks near the coastal city of Kilifi, according to police and mortuary officials.
The country's top two presidential candidates condemned the Mombasa attacks. Prime Minister Raila Odinga called it a "heinous act of aggression" during a historic exercise. Deputy Prime Minister Uhuru Kenyatta said he was discouraged by the news but he was sure the security situation would be brought under control.
Authorities flew in an additional 400 police officers to Mombasa to increase security. The United Nations restricted the movement of its staff on the coast because of the violence.
"People with ill intent must be stopped by all means," Kimaiyo said, explaining that he directed police to use their guns to stop further loss of life, a sensitive directive given that police killed more than 400 people during the 2007-08 postelection violence.
Police said the MRC were trying to suppress voter turnout, but the long lines seen across the country also formed in Mombasa.
Those lines left voters frustrated in the election's early hours. Anti-fraud computers that scan thumbprints to identify registered voters were used for the first time and appeared to be greatly slowing the process. Equipment broke down in some polling stations and power blackouts made the technology useless in others. Many voting officials had to resort to going through the old voters' register.
George Kimoi, 42, waited two hours to vote. He said it was the first time he felt his ballot would actually count, after the government upgraded ballot security measures in the wake of allegations the last vote was rigged. "I felt that it was important to wait and vote today because we need a new government," he said.
Official results are not expected until today or tomorrow.
Yesterday was Kenya's first presidential election since more than 1,000 people died in postelection attacks five years ago, and officials have been working to prevent a repeat of the massive violence.
A group of 200 secessionists armed with guns, machetes and bows and arrows set a trap for police in the coastal city of Mombasa in the pre-dawn hours, Inspector General David Kimaiyo said.
Four police were hacked to death with machetes, coast police boss Aggrey Adoli said.
The secessionist group - the Mombasa Republican Council - had threatened election day attacks, and Kimaiyo said police were planning a raid "that will see the end of the MRC."
The MRC believes Kenya's coast should be an independent country. Their cause, which is not defined by religion, is fueled by the belief that political leaders in Nairobi have taken the coast's land for themselves, impoverishing indigenous residents.
In addition to the attack in Mombasa, police blamed the MRC for three deadly attacks in nearby Kilifi.
Four police and three MRC members died in Mombasa, while seven MRC members, six government officials and two civilians died in the three attacks near the coastal city of Kilifi, according to police and mortuary officials.
The country's top two presidential candidates condemned the Mombasa attacks. Prime Minister Raila Odinga called it a "heinous act of aggression" during a historic exercise. Deputy Prime Minister Uhuru Kenyatta said he was discouraged by the news but he was sure the security situation would be brought under control.
Authorities flew in an additional 400 police officers to Mombasa to increase security. The United Nations restricted the movement of its staff on the coast because of the violence.
"People with ill intent must be stopped by all means," Kimaiyo said, explaining that he directed police to use their guns to stop further loss of life, a sensitive directive given that police killed more than 400 people during the 2007-08 postelection violence.
Police said the MRC were trying to suppress voter turnout, but the long lines seen across the country also formed in Mombasa.
Those lines left voters frustrated in the election's early hours. Anti-fraud computers that scan thumbprints to identify registered voters were used for the first time and appeared to be greatly slowing the process. Equipment broke down in some polling stations and power blackouts made the technology useless in others. Many voting officials had to resort to going through the old voters' register.
George Kimoi, 42, waited two hours to vote. He said it was the first time he felt his ballot would actually count, after the government upgraded ballot security measures in the wake of allegations the last vote was rigged. "I felt that it was important to wait and vote today because we need a new government," he said.
Official results are not expected until today or tomorrow.
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