November 20, 2012
Riots in Nairobi's Eastleigh neighbourhood continued for a second day Tuesday (November 20th), following an attack on a minibus that killed eight people and injured dozens on Sunday.
At least 10 people have been injured in the unrest, Kenya's The Standard reported. Protesters are targeting Somali residents and looting Somali-owned shops, drawing an indiscriminate line between al-Shabaab and ethnic Somalis.
However, senior al-Shabaab official Abduaziz Abu Musab denied involvement in Sunday's bomb blast in Nairobi.
"We are categorically denying any involvement in the bus attack in Eastleigh at the weekend," Musab told AFP, blaming the violence on political unrest ahead of the March 2013 general elections.
Police officials have called for peace and calm as they increased security presence in the area in an attempt to stop the violence and looting, Kenya's Daily Nation reported.
Police used tear gas and fired into the air to contain the violence, and the police presence in the neighbourhood has been significantly increased as rioters threw stones and attacked people and buildings with machetes. The Kenya Red Cross is patrolling the area taking the injured victims to various hospitals.
Nairobi police chief Njoroge Ndirangu urged Muslims and Christians in the area to resist attacking each other. "These are terror acts and we are urging communities in the area to be calm as we go after these criminals," he said.
Police reportedly arrested five people found looting, while Nairobi police commissioner James Waweru said some criminals were taking advantage of the situation to loot.
The Muslim Human Rights Forum on Monday condemned the minibus attack and the ensuing riots, with Executive Co-ordinator al-Amin Kimathi calling both acts senseless and unjustifiable.
Christian and Islamic clerics have also called for restraint and condemned the blast as a criminal act, according to The Standard.
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Reader's Comments
Heinous act on civilians
This is a very good column, especially for those who want to know more. The Swahili you use is good and informative and you are also educating a lot especially young people like us.
Is a good progress
The government, through its Councils, should meet the basic needs of its citizens. Also all laws should be well managed by the relevant authorities and they should not just emphasize certain things. Even if a certain matter is minor, follow the procedure, a human being's behavior is complex and ever-changing. Politicians should have a vision that can be fulfilled and not deceitful ambitions. They lack respect and the society is getting tired of them. Discrimination, bias etc. are a very bad poison at all level, stop them completely. If you can then even read Romans 10:1-9. Let us turn away from sin, and be dedicated in our lives. Africa if we don't have a heart of voluntarism them we are finished, everybody wants to start life with a big salary, you cannot. May God forgive Africa.
Kenyans should learn to take full responsbilities that concerns our country, instead of shifting blames from one another, so that we can experince positive transformation and developments in our beloved country. Boniface Kilivwa
Only God will help us
It's good to be tolerant because we have cooperated with one another and lived together in harmony for a long time without conflict. It's clear that there are some who do not value our unity and harmony in various fields, of course everybody will call his colleague in this cooperation so it is good to live in understanding and unity, without paying attention to our nationality, ethnicity or even color because we are all human beings. Moreover we are neighbors and we can benefit one another now and even in future
good progress
the kenyan people are not thinking at all . because the responsibilities and the securities are under the military and the kenyan government but not under the somali people who living this area . if there is attack from alshabab or any other group. why do we care ?
The blast must be the work of some Gangs from those who have preaching hatred against People of somali origin and muslims at large coz of Business dominance,aimed at making sure that life will be difficult for Somalis and to make them run away and collapse of Eastleigh as a business hub.the aim must be to instigate torture of somalis as everyone knows the kenyan police will just to the poor somalis in the area,harass them as they always do.
thats very good our boys help us whl when they war to the mosque all boys came and the christian run away thank God
this is fine.then i think it is actualy hard to determine the origin of all this messl.it is good to think of thye consequenses of our reactions.its better to sit aside and anticipate the action to be taken by the security forces since their job and responsibility lies here.But if nothing satisfying happens lets not build bigger problems especially religious ones IF WE ARE NOT SURE OF OUR JUDGEMENT.
how do somalis travel around the city? do they also use public transport? if yes, doe one usher somalis out of th car/bus before attack. Wake up kenyans. Someone is trying to justify the continued flow of the lucrative anti-terroist fund flowing.
Truly, this article is important because it is a neutral one that does not show any trace of being bias but the Somalis particularly those Somalis living in Eastleigh must all the times show a sense of carefulness, tolerance and work on keeping peace. Lack of peace is what made the live a poor life and lack of respect to their dignity and personal worth because you know what the Kenyan military has done. I would like to praise the media for making it possible for us to get their information easily.
If the blast was an act of Al-shaabab,then they are surely endangering the lives of people of somali origin in Kenya including the innocent ones.I know Al-shaabab will always look for ways of consoling themselves after loosing out.They never think and have never been thinking lest they should not have formed that demonic group.My wish is they should all be wi wiped from the face of this world.