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Kenya

Kenya presidential elections violence situation report No. 1

Prepared by:

OCHA Regional Office - Central and East Africa, Nairobi, in support of the Kenya UN Resident Coordinator/UNDP Resident Representative

Date:

1 January 2008

Contact:

Jens Laerke
OCHA RO-CEA, Nairobi
+254 722 513503
laerke@gmail.com
laerke@un.org

Embargo:

None. For immediate posting

Security situation

Police figures released Tuesday 1 January 2008 said that 143 people have been killed and more than 70,000 displaced after three days of post-electoral violence across Kenya. Flashpoints in the ongoing unrest are the slum areas of Nairobi as well as Eldoret (Rift Valley Province) and Kisumu (Nyanza Province). Coast Province, including the main town of Mombasa, and Western Province have also been affected by violence, looting, burning of houses and reported incidences of rape.

Riots broke out following the controversial re-election and swearing in Sunday of Mwai Kibaki as President amidst allegations that the vote had been rigged.

Police has been deployed in force in all major cities. In Nairobi there is heavy security presence in the centre which was today almost empty.

Humanitarian situation and interventions

Police statistics said that displacement figures broke down to 54,000 IDPs in Rift Valley Province, 16,000 in Coast Province and 3,000 in Western Province but a spokesman stressed that these were rough estimates. The death toll stands at 48 in Rift Valley Province, 45 in Western Province, 20 in Nyanza Provinze, 20 in Nairobi, and 10 in Coast Province. However, these are confirmed cases and the real number may be higher.

Kenya Red Cross (KRC) has been implementing its election contingency plan since 22 December in preparation for possible disturbances. KRC reported that all its 58 branches in the country are operational and implementing the contingency plan.

However, access is the main hindrance for delivery of assistance due to road blocks being mounted by protesters in various parts of the country. KRC have identified Eldoret, Mt. Elgon, Mombasa, Nyanza province, Kagagema, Nakuru, Kisumu as hotspots as well as Nairobi, Coast Province and the entire Rift Valley Province.

KRC reported today from Eldoret there are more that 20,000 people displaced in churches and police stations as a result of fear for their lives because they do not come from that part of Kenya. Many have wounds from arrows and spears and gunshots, and they lack food, water and fuel. Mt. Elgon has also flared up again. The Nairobi-Nakuru road is blocked by vigilante groups making it impossible for movement to access the people in need and the KRC had to go by helicopter to access these areas and the displaced.

Media reported that 30 people had been burned in a church in Eldoret, but the information was not fully confirmed by the time of writing.

MSF-B said today that it has re-opened its clinic (mainly for HIV treatment) in the Kibera slum and treated 30 patients with wounds inflicted by machetes, sticks and iron-rods. In addition, there were unconfirmed reports of numerous cases of rape. MSF-B said that most shops in Kibera had been looted or was empty and that prices for remaining food items had doubled or tripled and that lack of access to food and clean water was emerging as a serious humanitarian problem. In the Jamburi Park in the vicinity of the slum area, 300 displaced families from Kibera have sought refuge and benefit from food distribution carried out by Kenyan Red Cross.

MSF-F said that its clinic in the Nairobi Mathare slum is open and also responding to casualties from the riots that have taken place there.

MSF-S said that its team in Busia (Western Province) had been evacuated to Uganda Monday, and the team in Molo (Rift Valley Province) had difficulties intervening because of the very tense security situation. The team in Nakuru (Rift Valley Province) was working in the provincial hospital and reported to have treated 60 patients Monday. Today, the case-load was reportedly lower with 10-20 people currently in the provincial hospital.

UNICEF Kenya said that it is ready to assist up to 85,000 people with shelter and non-food items to the first phase of the crisis however this is conditional to the magnitude and speed with which the situation will evolve. UNICEF indicated that 13,000 Family Kits (blankets, tarpaulin, cooking sets, soap, jerrycan) are locally pre-positioned and 2,000 Family Kits are in the pipeline.

Coordination

The United Nations Country Team's Disaster Management Team in Kenya is meeting Wednesday 2 January with the Kenya Red Cross to be briefed on the assessed humanitarian needs in the country. The meeting is intended to clarify what support the UN system can provide to a coordinated response and immediately work on a UN strategy of assistance to the current crisis.

Map: Kenya: Presidential Elections Violence (as of 2 Jan 2008)