Nairobi
At least 54 people were killed as violence continued to rock Kenya a
day after President Mwai Kibaki was returned to power in closely
contested elections that have inflamed ethnic tensions.
Houses belonging to Kikuyus, Kibaki's tribe, were burned around the
country, with parts of some slums flattened and stores looted by
angry supporters of the Luo tribe of defeated presidential candidate
Raila Odinga.
Riot police lobbed tear-gas shells and fired shots into the air
Monday to disperse disgruntled mobs.
The Red Cross said at least 54 people were killed since Thursday's
polls, but local television station KTN put the number at 82 with at
least 46 people killed in western Kenya.
"This was one of the scenarios that we anticipated would happen.
Many places are no-go zones for us. Many areas are inaccessible and
that is a major problem for us," said Abbas Gullet, head of the
Kenya Red Cross Society.
He said at least 315 people have been wounded countrywide since the
start of the polls and many Kikuyus had to seek shelter in police
stations.
Heavily armed riot police were deployed around the capital as
protestors flinging stones attempted to march to the city centre,
which looked like a ghost town, but were prevented, leaving a trail
of destruction in their way.
After Kibaki Sunday was declared winner riots erupted around Nairobi
and across the country in protest at what Odinga has alleged were
rigged elections.
The European Union has voiced doubt over the accuracy of the
results, which put Kibaki at 4.58 million votes over Odinga's 4.35
million.
The violence, which has exposed deep tribal tensions, marks a
disturbing change in Kenya, which is seen as a beacon of stability
in a troubled region.
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