Its been 60 hours since the ballot boxes were opened to the public for voting, and no results of who Kenya's next president will be yet!
Tensions are high all over Kenya. In Mombasa many marched down Jomo Kenyatta Avenue demanding the electoral commision to speed up the delivery of results.
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ODM has announced Raila Odinga to be the president of Kenya. However these claims were dismissed by the ECK. Meanwhile us Kenyans wait to hear from official results of the man who will be president.
Pictures taken on Jomo Kenyatta Avenue, Mombasa. Near the market. When I got there tensions had reduced and the army had intervened to keep the town calm.
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11 comments:
You have any preference when it comes to the candidates?
yes I do. It is Raila Odinga. I was sure that he was going to win, sadly just learnt a few hours back that Kibaki was sworn in.
I've heard there's a curfew. I had to go drop my cousins grandma, and Mombasa was horrifyingly quiet. Media houses have been ordered to suspend live broadcast. Its getting dictatorial! lol.
Hmm.. but anyways its difficult to tell now if Kibaki really was given more votes or if some rigging was involved. I could go on, but I'll just stop here lol.
Well both probably rigged it, Kibaki probably has more experience. Is the situation really that bad?
Yes its bad in some parts of Kenya. In Mombasa I heard of some violence around South and North coast. The ferry services which link Mombasa mainland with south coast have been kept on hold. Panics on the rise! The Khoja Jamat's asking us all to go away. There's rationing as well. Bread price is more than double. Its normally around 22 kshs but yesterday it was 50kshs!
I loved the feeling of watching the live coverage during the process. Watching tv now feels as though one is in a communist state. Maybe I'm exegerating abit but still swearing in presidency has never taken place this fast! plus its infront of all of us, as I remember that's how things were last time. Makes one wonder if this is the same man to whom power was smoothly handed over in 2002!
Kibaki's done the country good no doubt, raising the literacy level by providing free education. The country's GDP this year was 6% from 0.6% in 2002. Health sector had alot of improvements as well.
Anyways today should be interesting to watch. Raila's going to swear himself as the people's president at Uhuru park in Nairobi. But I just hope nobody gets killed anymore. And peaceful means are obtained! I'm still in shock whilst my ODM flag lies still in the corner waiting to be picked up in response to good news.
Wow...sounds exciting, I don't know if you remember but when I was younger and visiting Mombasa there was this Islamic party (IPK I think), the head of which was Baloo or something. He used to stage lots of protests and you'd get men walking and marching in Khanjoos.
Which way did the Muslims vote (and I don't mean the Khojas)? Did you vote? I heard when Raila went to vote his name wasn't on the ballot paper.
Did you ever have to read the books by Thiango whilst you were at school btw?
How come your still there if you don't me asking, half my family are here and I thought you were at uni here now.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/kenya/story/0,,2233659,00.html
60 people killed so far.
lol I'd be lying to say its not all exciting. Muslims mostly gave their votes to Raila, he's promised them alot. so much that other religions feel left out.
I remember IPK, and hearing some gunshots, but I wasn't all that aware then. Is that how khajoos is spelt? I always thought it was spelt Khanzu.
And no I din't vote, I came here too late to apply for an electoral card. I was in London but now home for a few more days during winter break. I'd be really depressed in London. Plus cousins from TZ are here as well. Hmm.. I probably know your family then.
Well about Raila's name not being there, they'd categerised it all, and messed it up, losing the files at that center for peoples names beggining with O, M, R and other letters.
Went around town today with my dad to see the situation. Its safe in town. However I saw looting in Nyali! They were breaking into a shop belonging to someone my dad knew real well. Informing the police really din't help much, they stayed at their posts throughout! But ofcourse I don't blame them, the crowd wasn't all that easy to control. People are convinently taking advantage in the name of the unstability to loot people's rights and property! I took a couple of pictures as well, should put them up when I find the time.
I also heard there's looting in Likoni around Nakumatt as well the lighthouse area near Likoni. If it heightens, then I'd probably get another glimpse of it! Hmm.. but that end of lighthouse is known for violence.
Thiongo, I din't read him at school but on my own. I enjoyed his fictional styles incorporated with real events. A grain of wheat being my personal favourite. It probably was one of the books that increased my patriotism for Kenya! But now it's slowly dying.. I really should go off and write a depressingly sad poem! lol.
hmm.. I've mostly been reading from BBC, CNN and local kenyan sites. 60 people is alot.
Kenyan govt has banned people from spreading SMS rumours. Those who do so will be charged. There are many rumours such as Raila was arrested, William Ruto was shot but the government has mentioned they're all safe. Lets just hope they don't count what I've said above as a rumour. lol...Kenyan Govt if you reading this, this is not an sms neither a spread of rumour, just helping you reach the message out there that ODM pentagon members are safe!
I guess they coast is all Muslim so your in a Raila area. What did he promise them? Is that why Kibaki made Eid a public holiday? To win back some of the vote. Apart from Islam and Christinanity what are the other big religions?
Your spelling is of course correct, I border on dyslexia with my spellings I fear.
You see strangely invested in Kenyas fututure, like the Khojas I know care about the elections but only in as much as it'll affect their business interests. Do you actually see Kenya as your country? As in being Indian, during Kenyattas time a lot of Asian business's were taken over without compensation and in enighbouring Uganda you saw what happened to the Indians there. And in terms of representation they Indians are marginalised, there's only one Indian MP I believe. And in terms of a future everybody seems keen to move out generally.
I'm sure you know my family, probably some of my cousins are your age.
On the Guardian website there was a "nice" video of the police beating up the ordinary people with sticks, beating them fairly violently. Apparantly they've been given the order to shoot at protesters.
Which end of lighthouse, the end where the Presidents house is or the other side?
I liked Thiango but I he's quite anti-Indiam. I mean I like his fiction but not his politics. I went to when he came to London to launch his new book, The Wizard of the Crow. It does seem rather good. My Mum could remember reading him at school. I think she read Petals of Blood which does contain some anti-Indian sentiment in. Have you read the In-between world of Vikram Lal? That's a rather good book from the Indian perspective.
Kibaki did more than that to garner more votes. He allowed Hawkers to hawk, prostitutes to do what they do and in some areas of Kenya gave lease of lands to people.
Raila's promises included that he would set up a commision for the interference of wellbeing of muslims in Kenya by Government actions and its agencies.
Predominantly muslim areas which before were poorly looked after would be prioritized in the budget and receive infrastructural development.
His memorandum of udnerstanding with the muslims can be seen at https://secure.wikileaks.org/leak/MOU_between_Ralia_Odinga_and_Muslims.pdf
Btw I made a mistake in my comment previously, the letters were A, E and O which were missing.
I think Hinduism follows after christianity and Islam in Kenya. However I think it accounts to about 1% only.
I didn’t know there’s that 1 indian MP. Would you know what his name is? There was one Lady who looked Indian, running for presidency this time, Nazleen Omar, but she lost drastically. I wouldn't say Indians are marginalized, maybe they're too business minded to care about politics. And most of those that dwell into it are already corrupt.
That question you ask, constantly seeks a clear answer. But then what would my country be? I have no other country to call my own except Kenya. Many Indians helped in the struggle for Kenya's struggle to independence. Those were true Kenyans. I however don't think I'd have the guts like them.
Also can I ask where did you come across asian losing business during Kenyatta’s time? Something similar happened in Tanzania as well during early 80's.
I'll have a look at the guardian video. On the local news they showed of some men who had bullet wounds for just being there when the protest occurred! Why do you use the word nice so nicely in quotes? It is the one word a few of my friends have asked me to refrain using. They say I use it an infinite number of times.
The riots happened on the side away from the state house. The state house area's much safer.
Why do you say thiango again? lol its thiongo. And not read vasanjee's book as yet, it’s on my wish list for a long time lol.
My dad as well read some of ngugi's books at school. We were deprived of reading local literature at school :(
https://secure.wikileaks.org/leak/MOU_between_Ralia_Odinga_and_Muslims.pdf
That links not showing up clearly on my screen in the post prior to this.
hmm.. it still doesn't show up clear.
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