Police Contain Rioting Residents in Kisumu

The Nation (Nairobi)

NEWS
31 December 2007
Posted to the web 31 December 2007
Nairobi

Kisumu Town was Sunday coming to terms with the consequences of riots sparked off by claims of election rigging.

Police sealed off the town centre, keeping away the mobs that had gone on the rampage in the town looting shops and burning buildings.

Gunfire rent the air as death and destruction of property stank everywhere.

The relatively clean town was littered with polythene bags unwrapped from looted goods.

The mobs knew the premises to target - supermarkets, electronic shops, food and drinks joints and shoe stores.

Attempts to break into National Bank of Kenya's strong room were fruitless as it remained strong against the raiders who gained entry into the bank, nonetheless.

A man was shot dead on Saturday night near USAid residential area as police, who by unknown reasons kept at bay during the day as the orgy of looting went on unabated, took control of the town.

Children aged less than 10 carried looted items home as adults went for whatever they could carry.

Ukwala supermarkets chain was perhaps the greatest loser with its two stores along Oginga Odinga street raided and one of them burnt down.

Same fate

The Reinsurance Plaza, which houses the Ukwala outlet that was burnt, is home to Port Florence Hospital, which also suffered the same fate.

The nearby Victoria Hotel and Bata shop were looted extensively.

Other casualties on Oginga Odinga street were Swan Centre, Copycat shop, an adjacent electronic shop and a Singer shop (a sewing machine dealer), which were looted and set on fire.

African Retail Traders' two shops were broken into and goods stolen.

On Obote Road, where almost all godowns are located, people walked out with items ranging from new tyres to foodstuff. Kimwa Grand, a chain of hotels in Kisumu, was also raided and looted.

Police intensified patrols in the town, lobbing tear gas canisters to keep rioters at bay.

Patrols were spread to the residential areas where police intercepted people carrying looted goods and arrested several culprits.

Two residential houses were set on fire Sunday morning at Car Wash area.

In Kakamega Town, calm returned after violent protests, in which a man was shot and property destroyed by a gang of youths, were witnessed.

Two vehicles were set ablaze at Maraba estate by the youths who raided the homes and flushed out families from ethnic communities believed to be supporters of PNU.

Security was tight in the town with the anti-riot police patrolling the streets in vehicles.

Business premises remained closed as the main municipal market and the usually busy bus terminus were deserted.

Early in the morning, a few people ventured out of their homes to go to church, but the majority of the residents remained indoors.

The families who were affected by the violence and had fled from their homes spent the night in the cold outside Kakamega Police Station.

Needed assistance

The officer in charge of the station, Mr Eliud Monari, said the women and children needed assistance.

In Migori, one more person died in the riots. The victim, who was not immediately identified, succumbed to bullet injuries at Ombo Mission Hospital, bringing the death toll to two.

One man died on Saturday at Pastor Machage Memorial Hospital after he was shot by police.

At least 11 more were still fighting for their lives after they sustained bullet wounds when the town turned chaotic on Saturday.

Sunday, police ordered people to remain indoors until the results were released by the Electoral Commission.

More protests were reported in Awendo and Rongo towns, where shops were looted.

Reports by Benson Amadala and Elisha Otieno

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