27 killed in fresh Kenya clashes

2008-02-02 10:57

Nairobi - Twenty seven people have been killed in fresh violence in western Kenya, say police, bringing the toll in the past 24 hours to 37.

"Eight people were killed in Nyamira," a police commander in western Nyanza province said, adding to eight others hacked to death or shot with poisoned arrows during fighting on Friday.

"Six others were killed in (nearby) Chepilat - two shot by police and four hacked to death. Three others were hacked to death in Manga (also close by)," he said.

Meanwhile, local police commander Japheth Daido said two people had died overnight in Ainamoi, the home village of a slain opposition MP, where a crowd of thousands went on the rampage on Friday. He said eight others had also died on Friday.

"Eight were killed in Ainamoi yesterday and two were killed overnight," Daido said. The crowd killed a policeman on Friday.

Kenyan demonstrator shot dead

Villagers armed with bows and arrows, spears and machetes went on the rampage to avenge the killing of David Kimutai Too, said police.

Police also shot dead a demonstrator in the western opposition stronghold of Kisumu on Friday.

Angry protesters set fire to dozens of houses in western Kenya on Friday after Too was shot dead by a policeman on Thursday in Eldoret. Another opposition MP, Melitus Mugabe Were, was shot dead on Tuesday in Nairobi, also sparking clashes.

Amid the violence, the parties of Kenya's feuding leaders agreed a joint roadmap on Friday to end unrest that had claimed nearly 1 000 lives since last month's disputed presidential elections, former United Nations chief Kofi Annan said.

Up to 300 000 had been forced from their homes in fighting sparked by the widely-contested December 30 re-election of President Mwai Kibaki, which opposition leader Raila Odinga refused to recognise.

- AFP