NAIROBI (AFP) — Kenyan police fired on opposition protesters Wednesday, killing two and wounding several others, in a crackdown on nationwide rallies against President Mwai Kibaki's disputed re-election.
The worst violence took place in the western opposition stronghold of Kisumu, the country's third city, when riot police clashed with supporters of opposition leader Raila Odinga.
"One man was shot in the back as police were trying to disperse about 1,000 youths who were trying to to gather here," a police commander told AFP, adding that several others had been wounded, one seriously.
He later said another man had died of gunshot wounds in hospital.
Three young supporters of Odinga's Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) were also wounded when police fired live rounds in Kibera, Nairobi's largest slum, an AFP correspondent and several witnesses said.
"Yesterday we celebrated because we got our speaker elected, but today they come back and fire at us for just wanting to march on the streets," said Frederick Okoth, a local resident.
"The struggle goes on, we will not sleep," protestors sang in Swahili, taunting gangs of armed riot police drawn up some 300 metres (yards) away on the other side of a grassy hill.
But police vehicles cleared the central business district, shouting orders through loudspeakers for everybody to leave town, beating suspects and dispersing groups with tear gas.
"The police are using strong-arm tactics, but the people are coming out. This is not an event, it is a process and the struggle continues," ODM secretary general Anyang Nyongo told reporters.
Police fired tear gas at Nyongo and several other senior ODM leaders outside a central Nairobi hotel, causing them to seek shelter inside.
In the western city of Eldoret, which saw the worst violence following Kibaki's December 30 re-election, six demonstrators were slightly wounded when the 4,000-strong crowd clashed with police.
Police broke up the protest march several times, but the demonstrators regrouped, chanting "No Raila, no peace, Kibaki must go". One cardboard banner read: "Kibaki rest in peace, in a coffin, buried alive."
"So long as Kibaki stole our Kalenjin (tribe) vote, we are not going to have democracy. Kibaki has to step down. So long as Kibaki wants to rule Kenya by force we shall not accept," said an elderly man who gave his name as Francis.
Police also fired tear gas at protestors in the towns of Nakuru and Mombasa but the nationwide protests were eventually thwarted or wound down.
With a question mark hanging over similar protests planned for Thursday, most of the country's cities were deserted again, threatening to deepen the economic crisis that has crippled Kenya over the past three weeks.
At least 700 people have already been killed in riots, police raids and tribal violence following Kibaki's re-election last month, which Odinga claims was rigged to rob him of the presidency.
As protests picked up, Odinga was defiant and warned that the victory for his movement in parliament on Tuesday was the beginning of a fresh challenge to Kibaki's rule.
"Nothing will stop us from mounting such rallies," he said in a statement. "We showed in parliament yesterday that there will be no business as usual in our country."
The victory for the opposition candidate in the election of the speaker was a first setback for the government since Kibaki was sworn in more than two weeks ago, but the session nevertheless ended with ODM lawmakers swearing allegiance to the president.
Tuesday's opening of the newly-elected parliament was the first time the feuding factions had faced off since the presidential polls.
Throughout the unrest which has plunged Kenya into its worst crisis in 25 years, Kibaki has remained immovable, dismissing the opposition charges of fraud and holding out against international mediation.
Mediation efforts suffered a fresh blow Tuesday when former UN chief Kofi Annan postponed his scheduled mission to Kenya due to a "severe flu".
He had been expected in Nairobi to try and broker direct talks between Kibaki and Odinga.
The Kenyan government initially urged him to stay home, arguing there was nothing to mediate, but issued a statement Wednesday, insisting he was welcome.
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