Kenyan Mob Burns Church, Killing Up To 50

Many Children Burned Alive In Church Where Hundreds Sought Refuge From Ethnic Clashes

(CBS/AP)  A mob torched a church where hundreds had sought refuge Tuesday, and witnesses said dozens of people - including children - were burned alive or hacked to death with machetes in ethnic violence that followed Kenya's disputed election.

The killing of up to 50 ethnic Kikuyus in the Rift Valley city of Eldoret brought the death toll from four days of rioting to more than 275, raising fears of further unrest in what has been one of Africa's most stable democracies.

The latest violence recalled scenes from the genocide in Rwanda in 1994, when more than a half-million people were killed. The question facing Kenya is whether the politicians will lose control of the mobs, triggering a civil war.

President Mwai Kibaki, who was swiftly inaugurated for a second term Sunday after a vote that critics said was rigged, called for a meeting with his political opponents - a significant softening of tone for a man who rarely speaks to the press and who vowed to crack down on rioters.

But opposition candidate Raila Odinga refused, saying he would meet Kibaki only "if he announces that he was not elected." Odinga accused the government of stoking the chaos, telling The Associated Press in an interview that Kibaki's administration "is guilty, directly, of genocide."

The violence - from the shantytowns of Nairobi to resort towns on the sweltering coast - has exposed long-festering tribal resentment.

The people killed in Eldoret, about 185 miles northwest of Nairobi, were members of Kibaki's Kikuyu tribe.

They had fled to the Assemblies of God Church on Monday night, seeking refuge after mobs torched homes. Video from a helicopter chartered by the Red Cross showed many homes in flames and the horizon obscured by smoke. Groups of people were seen seeking sanctuary at schools and the airport, while others moved into the forest.

On Tuesday morning, a mob of about 2,000 arrived at the church, said George Karanja, whose family had sought refuge there.

"They started burning the church," Karanja told the AP in a telephone interview, his voice catching with emotion as he described the scene. "The mattresses that people were sleeping on caught fire. There was a stampede, and people fell on one another."

Karanja, 37, helped pull out at least 10 people, but added, "I could not manage to pull out my sister's son. He was screaming 'Uncle, uncle!' ... He died." The boy was 11.

Up to 50 people were killed in the attack, said a Red Cross official who spoke on condition of anonymity because her name would identify her tribe, and she feared reprisal. Even first aid workers were stopped by vigilantes who demanded their identity. Numerous blockades along the road to Eldoret increased the dangers of traveling.

Karanja said his two children raised their hands as they left the church and they were beaten with a cane, but not killed. His 90-year-old father was attacked with a machete, but survived, he said.

"The worst part is that they were hacking people and then setting them on fire," he added.

The attackers saw Karanja saving people and began stoning him, he said. Karanja said he ran and hid - submerging himself in a pit latrine outside the church property. He stayed there about 30 minutes until he heard people speaking Kikuyu, he added.

The Kikuyu, Kenya's largest ethnic group, are accused of turning their dominance of politics and business to the detriment of others. Odinga is from the Luo tribe, a smaller but still major tribe that says it has been marginalized.

There are more than 40 tribes in Kenya, and political leaders have often used unemployed and uneducated young men to intimidate opponents. While Kibaki and Odinga have support from across the tribal spectrum, the youth responsible for the violence tend to see politics in strictly ethnic terms.

In Nairobi's slums, which are often divided along tribal lines, rival groups have been fighting each other with machetes and sticks as police use tear gas and bullets to keep them from pouring into the city center. The capital has been a ghost town for days, with residents stocking up on food and water and staying in their homes.

Parents in the capital's slums - home to a third of its population - searched for food, with many shops closed because of looting.

Anne Njoki, a 28-year-old Kikuyu, said she fled her home in a shantytown after she saw Kikuyus being attacked and their homes looted. She was camped near a military base with her sister, 3-year-old nephew and 7-year-old niece.

"They have taken our beds, blankets, even spoons," she said of the looters.

In the Mathare slum, Odinga supporters torched a minibus and attacked Kikuyu travelers, witnesses said.

"The car had 14 people in it, but they only slashed Kikuyus," said witness Boniface Mwangi. Five were attacked by the machete-wielding gang, he said.

The prospect of even more violence is ahead. Odinga has accused the president of genocide and called for a mass protest on Thursday, which will rally hundreds of thousands of his angry supporters, reports CBS News correspondent Elizabeth Palmer.

The government banned the demonstration, but Odinga said: "It doesn't matter what they say."

The widespread violence and gathering international pressure could lead Kibaki to seek a compromise with the opposition.

The European Union and the United States have refused to congratulate Kibaki, and the EU and four top Kenyan election officials have called for an independent inquiry. In Britain, Kenya's former colonial ruler, Prime Minister Gordon Brown urged Kibaki and Odinga to hold talks.

Election commission chairman Samuel Kivuitu said Tuesday he had been pressed by both an opposition party and Kibaki's Party of National Unity to release the results of the vote. Western ambassadors "wanted me to delay announcing the results, even if it is for a week," to allow the commission to investigate alleged irregularities, he said.

Kibaki, 76, won by a landslide in 2002, ending 24 years of rule by Daniel arap Moi. Kibaki is praised for turning the country into an east African economic powerhouse with an average growth rate of 5 percent, but his anti-graft campaign has been seen as a failure, and the country still struggles with tribalism and poverty.

Odinga, 62, cast himself as a champion of the poor. His main constituency is the Kibera slum, where some 700,000 people live in poverty, but he has been accused of failing to do enough to help them in 15 years as a member of parliament.

Kenya's tourism industry, which brings in some $900 million and attracts more than 1 million visitors a year, is sure to suffer from the violence. The United States has warned tourists against all but essential travel to Kenya, and Britain has advised against travel in some areas.

Stuart Dickson, a Canadian who was vacationing in Nairobi, said he was cutting short his visit.

"We are leaving early because of the riots and how dangerous it is to be out on the streets," he said. "With shops being closed and everything, it is not the best place for a tourist or traveler to be right now."

[tigeress33-2009]

Except for New Orleans, they have been riding the boat from Africa to there thats why the crime rate is up. Carrying their machetes and singing "Coming to America"

[dsr57]

Maybe, possibly, prolly not. I work overseas so unless you neighborhood is mostly sand, chances are that I do not. Jesus these people drive me crazy ! ! I can''t wait to get back the the U.S. where people are normal.

[juwboy]

Republic or democracy?

If you are asked, "What is the difference between a republic and a democracy?", by an Immigration and Naturalisation Service examiner when applying for U.S. citizenship, here is the answer you are required to give:

DEMOCRACY: Laws are passed/rejected by a DIRECT vote of the citizens (examples: Switzerland and some New England towns).

REPUBLIC: Laws are passed/rejected by an INDIRECT vote of the citizens through their elected representatives (example: USA).

[iceman_1960]

You are two nasty little beasties.

I"m glad you don"t live in my neighborhood.

There"s a small chance you do, but the odds are you don"t.

[tigeress33-2009]

Yeah they are pretty worthless maybe they could take some of that systematic agriculture and actually grow something so they aren''t always starving and asking us for money. Oh and one invention throughout hundreds of years, a *** could come up with at least one invention, they still seem pretty worthless to me. Too bad they can''t go back in time and invent the condom.

[dsr57]

Africans are retarded. Yeah, systematic agriculture is AWESOME now if they can just stop killing eachother by the thousands and moving from one ruthless dictator to another. If you''ll pay close attention to only places in Africa that are suitable for Tourism are the countires still ran by Great Briton. Africans NEED other people to run their country for them because their worthless. So, in closing, you can take systematic agriculture and shove it up your ***..

That is all.

[iceman_1960]

"Africans are retarded"
- Posted by DSR57 at 11:05 PM : Jan 01, 2008

Africans invented systematic agriculture. No innovation has had a greater impact on the advancement of humanity than that did.

Not bad for a bunch of "retards."

If they behave savagely now, they have been treated savvagely for a long time, not just by other human beings but by a merciless set of environmental factors, including severe tropical diseases and the complete absence of large domesticateable animals below the Sahara. (The Indian elephant can be tamed and put to work; the African elephant can"t).

How did the poet put it ?

"Those who have evil done to them, do evil in return."

[iceman_1960]

"The US is NOT A DEMOCRACY it is a REPUBLIC - GW Bush & Christianity SHOULD LEARN THE DIFFERENCE!"
- Posted by j62kd4b

It is both.

A republic, as our Founding Fathers understood the word, is a representative democracy.

Democracy means rule by all the citizens, either directly, as in ancient Athens, or through elected representatives, as in modern America.

In both Athens and America, democracy does not mean mob rule. Laws and a written constitution restrict (at least theoretically) what the majority can do.

Source:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Democracy

[hungry1968]

RELIGION, ANY RELIGION, IS THE PROBLEM.
RELIGION POISONS EVERYTHING!

Posted by jmcgilvray at 10:30 PM : Jan 01, 2008



RIGHT ON!!! That''s what I''ve been telling rick for months. He decries the other guy''s religion, and I keep telling him that his flavor is just as guilty as the other guy''s.

[hungry1968]

Where''''s the crispy critters hungry1968??

Posted by ilikecats1 at 09:47 PM : Jan 01, 2008



Directly between your ears.

[hungry1968]

The US is NOT A DEMOCRACY it is a REPUBLIC - GW Bush & Christianity SHOULD LEARN THE DIFFERENCE!

Posted by j62kd4b
-------------------
They know, not to worry.

Posted by ilikecats1 at 10:09 PM : Jan 01, 2008



The US is NOT a republic or a democracy, and they haven''t been for years. Our government was hijacked many years ago by special interests and lobbyists. The definition of a republic is:

"A republic is a state or country that is not led by a hereditary monarch, where the people of that state or country (or at least a part of that people) have impact on its government, and that is usually indicated as a republic."

We American citizens have ZERO impact on our government - that disqualifies us as a republic AND a democracy.

[dsr57]

Africans are retarded, I can''t help but notice that when the Gov''t screws up they take it upon themselves to start hacking up the community. How does burning people alive in a church help with an election dispute?

[goldsummer]

There is violence all over the world right now and THAT is a shame in and of itself. The innocent lives that are cut short is tragic. For once in a govt leaders time in office .. I wish to they would think not of themselves and thier petty ego''s but to do what is right and just for thier people.

Right now there are hundreds of people in Kenya that have nothing to do with this uprising. My nephew is one of them. A middle class ,white canadain, 20 yr old... overseas on a work program building huts and communities. My family and hundreds of others are scared to death for the safety of our loved ones. But a travel ban prevents them from coming home.

So for all those out there spouting off about religion.. do the families a big favor and put your faith where it belongs.. in a higher power.. and pray that innocents like my nephew get out alive.

[zootallures2]

Won''t you help find a cure?

Each year s*adism kills millions of people. But there is hope! Yes, here at the International S*adism Foundation (ISF) we are close to a break through to stop this killer that has mutated to not distinguish between old and young, rich or poor, or any race or religion. It can cause death and injury to even the most praised and honored, sacred and loved, and your precious small children. Even pets and animals are not immune. Once just a mass killer of bugs and insects, it has spread and evolved into our world%u2019s greatest threat. We need your help. Donate your tax-deductible gift to The International S*adism Foundation today and help fight the war on s*adism.

[j62kd4b]

George W. Bush & Christianity have tried to "change" man for selfish GREED in GWs case & Christ instead of Voodoo in Christianity - ALL WILL LOSE & sorrow to the natives - they DO NOT HAVE A GRECO-ROMAN TRADITION OF GOVERNMENT OR RELIGION - these people look at DEMOCRACY as a PANACEA, a CURE FOR ALL THEIR POVERTY, CRUEL CHIEFS (am sure there were GOOD CHIEFS) - but, there is NO MAGIC BUTTON and these people are being CHEATED - they have been ruled TRIBALLY and for many centuries -
The US is NOT A DEMOCRACY it is a REPUBLIC - GW Bush & Christianity SHOULD LEARN THE DIFFERENCE!

[hungry1968]

You have much to learn about Christianity.

Posted by jmcgilvray
---------------------
you have nothing to teach except bigotry



Posted by ilikecats1 at 08:44 PM : Jan 01, 2008



Exactly!! We''re trying to teach you about the bigotry, intolerance, and hatred of the christian way of life.

[hungry1968]

Burning people alive is a Christian tradition

Posted by jmcgilvray
----------------------------

liar

Posted by ilikecats1 at 06:53 PM : Jan 01, 2008



Ever heard of the Salem witch trials? Burning people alive is a tradition that''s centuries old!!

[pcal5]

Ahem, to it''s a popular vote, bigot....

All of our elections are bought with big money, you can''t be that blind and, in this day and age, entirely jiggered by our once relatively free press, jiggered towards the regime in power and its CIA controlled dictatorship. I am not bigoted against conservative fundamentalist Christians, but rather just pointing out what sneaks and theives they are, as is obvious in Kenya, and much better covered up here in America where the media and politicians are much better liars. All the proof pointed out in an undeniable way on matrix-evolutions DOT com.

[pcal5]

One shouldn''t be surprised. When I was a kid in Catholic school, we used to give our pennies every day to the missions in Kenya. And obviously we converted a large number to Christianity judging from the Christian who stole the election in Kenya being sworn in (illegitimally) on the Bible. Americans accept stolen elections passively, absurdly putting faith in our packed Supreme Court that rubber stamped the theft. The Kenyans care a lot more about freedom and they have a natural anger when they are made fools out of. Perhaps this is a harbinger of things to come when our home grown Christians steal the our next election too. If you hope so too, check out matrix-evolutions DOT com.

[nwihoosier]

Idiots all

Ha haaaaaa