CHILDREN’S bodies were piled in a Nairobi morgue; churches were burned; and police on horseback chased pedestrians through the streets. This was the situation in Kenya, in late December and early January.

Kenya’s attorney-general called for a recount and an independent investigation into the December 27 election, in which incumbent president Mwai Kibaki was declared winner over opposition candidate Raila Odinga.

There were violent protests after the results were announced. In the chaos which ensued, more than 700 people were reported dead.

In one of the more gruesome incidents, at least 30 people were burned to death in a church in western Kenya, after seeking refuge from the mounting violence.

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Quoting police and eyewitness accounts, the BBC reported that a mob attacked and set fire to the church in the town of Eldoret, where hundreds of people were hiding.

Dozens more were reported to have been taken to hospital with severe burns. Several other churches were reportedly destroyed.

The violence came as European Union (EU) election monitors said the presidential poll “fell short of international standards.” Chief EU monitor Alexander Graf Lambsdorff said the tallying process “lacked credibility.”

At press time, tensions were still high, with rival gangs from opposing tribes roaming about outside Nairobi.

Among the Christian organizations offering aid are: Intercede International (intercedenow.ca) and cbm (cbmicanada.org).

  – Assist News Service

February 2008