I have since found out, since I posted earlier, that there was an attempt of a demonstration this afternoon in Nairobi but it just involved a few people and 3 or 4 MP’s. They got out of their big 4x4’s and tried to walk across from the Nairobi Serena Hotel (opposite the Uhuru Park). They were stopped at the entrance of the park and when they wouldn’t leave by the request of the police, there was a canister of tear gas fired and that was that it seems.
In Mombasa, they weren’t so lucky and there was some trouble in the city centre where some people were also trying to demonstrate. Some shops were smashed up and looted. It seems in Mombasa town temperatures are much higher between the tribal groups and I think this stems from the extreme tribal violence in the ‘Likoni Clashes’ that left many dead back in 1997. It seems there's some kind of revenge mission going on down there between the tribes, the stories and threats between the different tribes are horrific.
Both in Nairobi and Mombasa the opposition have vowed they will try and demonstrate again tomorrow against the continuous pleas of the police not to.
We can only hope that Desmond Tutu is really getting somewhere with regards to getting the two sides to talk, but it seems that each side has conditions that I’m not convinced at this stage, the others are willing to meet.
We’ve had ‘Let’s recount the votes’
…. The president has not dismissed this one,
but then we get, ‘No’ from ODM, ‘Bad Plan, chances are there’ll be more changed than there were the first time!’.
Then we had ‘Let’s have a coalition government’
…… ‘No, We won’t agree’ says ODM, 'as we want to be in charge.'
Then its ‘Kibaki must resign before we speak’
…….. ‘No, I am the President’ is of course is Kibaki’s answer to that one.
At this rate I’m not entirely convinced we’re getting very far, very fast, but any kind of talking, even it’s just ‘No, No, No’, surely is better than no talking at all.
Meanwhile, I understand that Sunday has been declared a day for fasting and praying for peace by all the various church leaders here.
I do think anything’s worth a shot at this stage and if a day of prayer is the best we can do, well then I’m all for it.
‘Let’s Pray for Peace!’
