TUESDAY, 5.00PM:
THE Kenyan parliament descended into chaos when it convened on Tuesday, with government members shouting down the opposition leader’s move for an adjournment to protest allegations of government involvement in recent tribal attacks in the Rift Valley.
Opposition members retaliated shouting, “No more killings”, and waving placards, one reading “Enough is enough”, as Democratic Party leader Mwai Kibaki’s speech was drowned out. President Daniel arap Moi alone appeared calm as parliament was reduced to a frenzy of accusations.
Earlier in the day police kicked and clubbed a group of 100 young demonstrators from the Kenya Human Rights Association who were protesting politically motivated violence.
The youths were attacked by 50 policemen after marching toward parliament in support of opposition legislators who, on Monday, threatened to block the opening session of Kenya’s eighth parliament as a protest at Moi’s government’s alleged role in instigating violence against the Kikuyu tribe in central Kenya.
Opposition leaders, press and church organisations accused Moi in January of direct involvement in ordering the violent attacks against the Kikuyu, which have left over 100 dead since January 14. The attacks have been attributed to raiders from the Kalejin tribe to which Moi and senior ruling party members belong. The Kikuyu, Kenya’s largest tribe, and the Luo tribe voted overwhelmingly for the opposition in December’s elections and opposition leaders have speculated that Moi ordered the attacks as punishment for voting against him.