A church torching near Nairobi killed at least 50 people on Tuesday as political-motivated violence and riots continued for the fourth day in what was one of the most stable and prosperous countries in Africa.
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(Photo: AP Images / ICRC, via AP Television)Building burn in the the Kenyan town of Eldoret in this image taken from TV supplied by the International Committee of the Red Cross Tuesday Jan. 1, 2008. A mob torched a church in Eldoret sheltering hundreds of people fleeing post-election violence Tuesday, killing up to 50 people including many children as four days of rioting and ethnic clashes marked one of the darkest times in Kenya's history.
“There was a huge mob, they attacked the church,” said a witness who requested to remain anonymous for security reason, according to The Associated Press. The person counted at least 15 to 20 charred bodies at the church in Eldoret, about 185 miles northwest of Nairobi.
Outbreaks of violence has plagued Nairobi since the government announced last weekend that incumbent President Mwai Kibaki was re-elected with 51.3 percent of the vote, compared with opposition leader Raila Odinga’s 48.7 percent, according to CNN. Kibaki’s opponents say the election was rigged and have refused to accept his presidency.
The European Union and the United States have also refused to congratulate Kibaki as president, saying that there was likely foul play by both parties during the election. British Prime Minister Gordon Brown has urged the two sides to call for an end to the violence and discuss their differences peacefully, according to AP.
Kibaki is from the largest ethnic group in Kenya, the Kikuyu tribe, while Odinga is a member of the Luo tribe, a smaller but still major group.
On Tuesday, hundreds of Kenyans from Kibaki’s Kikuyu tribe were taking shelter in the sanctuary at the time of the church attack. The torching is part of the tribal violence that began in the shantytowns of Nairobi and has since spread to resort towns on the coast.
In total, the recent ethnic clashes has killed at least 270 people and exposed Kenya’s long struggle with tribal tension.
Opposition leader Odinga said Tuesday he plans to march with a million supporters in the capital on Thursday against Kibaki. The government has banned the demonstration, but Odinga said, “It doesn’t matter what they say,” according to AP.
The tribal conflict has forced Kenyan families to flee their homes and many interviewed said that they and their small children have not eaten for days. Many of the shops have closed due to the violence and people have not been able to work and as a result have no money to buy food.
“My eldest daughter keeps asking what am I going to do and the small one is crying from hunger,” said Winnie Nduku, 34, to AP.
Reports indicate that the number of deaths is expected to rise with some estimates at 228 since Saturday, based on statistics gathered from police, morgues and witnesses.
Kenya’s population consists of 45 percent Protestant, 33 percent Roman Catholic, 10 percent Muslim, and 10 percent adhering to indigenous beliefs, according to the CIA World Factbook.
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Truthandjustice, I belive my friend was reading one of Kenya's local papers. However, today on Christain Post it has the church listed.
"According to residents and a security source, around 200 people had fled to the Kenya Assemblies of God Pentecostal church near Eldoret town in an attempt to escape vigilante gangs roaming the streets." http://www.christianpost.com/article/20080102/30711_Kenya_Death_Toll_Surpasses_300.htm
Gratus, it is a fairly new democracy compared to the US and I would not call it a dictatorship. We have numerous reports of election fraud in the US as well. Some Democrats are still upset by the Al Gore defeat. Many states do not have a strong protection against fraud. I've heard that New Hampshire will even allow illegals to vote without IDs.
Seedplanter,
I'm wondering where you read that because the official Kenyan paper stated it was Catholic:
http://www.sabcnews.com/africa/east_africa/0,2172,161744,00.html
The sad fact is that people who commit election fraud, and mobsters who run amok, are symptomatic of a society which is not yet ready for democracy. They are actually choosing the evils of dictatorship. Hopefully the people of Kenya will be able to excise the tumour of political intolerance and develop into a mature democracy where people allow one another their political differences...
seedplanter, I too am very sorry to hear of this. The Assemblies of God church has many missionaries around the world, and I know some who live elsewhere in Africa. They are watching this situation very closely. I am so sorry to hear of your friend's situation. May God have mercy on Kenya and brings peace soon.
This is a terrible This is a terrible tragedy. The church was an Assemblies of God Church that was burned down. I have a friend from Kenya; his family is confining themselves to their home for fear of attack. His siblings went home for Christmas and are not able to return to their own homes. He is here in the states studying medicine to be a medical missionary to the refugees who have fled other war torn countries in Africa.