Rift Valley in chaos as violence sweeps across Kenya
Sunday, 27 Jan 2008 14:13
Kofi Annan said he saw "gross and systematic abuse of human rights" in Rift Valley
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The latest wave of violence in Kenya has seen further deaths and rioting throughout the Rift Valley in the west of the country.
In the worst incident eight people were burned to death after they were locked in a house of Naivasha in western Kenya.
Police were forced to use teargas and fired live rounds into the air above the crowd to disperse protestors in Kisumu. There was also unrest in Eldoret and Nakuru, where five were killed.
The deaths followed reports of six people being burned and four hacked to death yesterday in inter-tribal violence.
Members of president Mwai Kibaki's Kikuyu tribe clashed with Luos and Kalenjins who back his rival Raila Odinga.
Machetes, bows and arrows and clubs are being used as weapons by the crowds, the Reuters news agency reports.
Yesterday vehicles and buildings were looted and set on fire after fighting broke out late on Saturday night, with police fired over the heads of the gang members.
Former United Nations chief Kofi Annan met with opposition leader Mr Odinga in Nairobi yesterday to try to end the violence.
"We saw gross and systematic abuse of human rights, of fellow citizens and it is essential that the facts be established and those responsible held to account," Mr Annan said after visiting the Rift Valley yesterday.
"We cannot accept that periodically, every five years or so, this sort of incident takes place and no one is held to account."
Mr Odinga accuses his rival of stealing December's presidential election.
At least 750 people have died and about a quarter of a million have been left homeless from the post-election chaos.