Originally published by the Voice of America (www.voanews.com).
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January 29, 2008

Opposition Lawmaker Killed as Kenya Violence Surges
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http://enews.voanews.com/t?ctl=1B151DC:A6F02AD83191E16026C08F2CBB1FED7FF47489ACC27D21EE& Mugabe Were gunned
down in front of his home in Nairobi, Tuesday; some fear violence has
devolved into revenge attacks between ethnic groups Gunmen have killed
an opposition member of Kenya's parliament, sparking a new wave of
violence in the country. As Nick Wadhams reports from Nairobi, there
are fears the violence has devolved into revenge attacks between the
country's ethnic groups.







Women cry outside house of opposition lawmaker Mugabe Were where he
was gunned down in Nairobi, 29 Jan 2008Women mourned outside the home
of Mugabe Were, who was gunned down just hours before. Were was a
member of opposition leader Raila Odinga's Orange Democratic Movement
and was elected to Kenya's parliament in the December 27 national
election.

The killing sparked new clashes in the nearby Kibera slum, a
stronghold of Mr. Odinga. One doctor was reportedly beheaded by men
with machetes, and rioters again uprooted a railway that runs through
the slum.

Police spokesman Eric Kiraithe said investigators are not ruling out
the possibility that the killing was politically motivated, but he
refused to comment further.







Opposition leader Raila Odinga (3rd R) mourns over the body of ODM MP
Mugabe Were who was shot dead, 29 Jan 2008Mr. Odinga, who has
maintained that President Mwai Kibaki's re-election in the December 27
vote was rigged, said there is no doubt the killing was political.

"It is despicable that a member of parliament should be assassinated
in this manner," he said. "We have witnessed five bullets that were
shot into his body, two of them into his eyes. These were people who
had planned an assassination. This is not an ordinary murder as the
police spokesman would want the country to believe. This is a planned
political assassination."

Government spokesman Alfred Mutua refused to comment on the attack.

His killing was a new escalation in violence that has claimed at least
850 lives since the vote and more than 100 in recent days. Much of the
recent killing has been concentrated in Naivasha and Nakuru, two
cities just north of Nairobi.

On Tuesday, helicopters opened fire with what officials said were
rubber bullets on crowds fighting each other in Naivasha.







Member of Kikuyu tribe living in Kibera slum is carried to safety
after attack by members of opposing tribe during ethnic clashes in
Nairobi, 29 Jan 2008 The recent violence appears to be partly
motivated by revenge. Kikuyus, who primarily support President Kibaki,
apparently are avenging attacks on members of their ethnic group who
have been killed or fled violence further northwest.

Luos, Luhyas and Kalenjin, who generally support Mr. Odinga, say they
are striking back against what they believe are injustices committed
by the Kikuyu.

There was some hope that Mr. Kibaki and Mr. Odinga could edge closer
to compromise in negotiations mediated by former U.N.
Secretary-General Kofi Annan.

While both sides say they are ready for negotiation, their starting
positions are far apart. Mr. Kibaki says his election as president was
legitimate and he will not negotiate on that point. Mr. Odinga has
demanded the president's resignation and new elections.




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