Kenyans vote, rich Kenyan Asians take holidays outside the country
NAIROBI, Kenya (eTN) - Fearing violence in the voting process, Kenyans of Asian origin left their country for neighboring East African states in their specially-designed holiday to avoid tribal clashes likely to erupt in various parts of the country.
Kenyan Asians took their security-designed holidays in neighboring countries of Tanzania, Uganda and Rwanda waiting for preliminary and full election results to be announced starting today up to next week.
Driving in hired buses, vans and family cars, Kenyan Asians crossed the Kenya and Tanzania border point of Namanga for Tanzanian northern tourist city of Arusha, about 250 kilometers South of Nairobi, while others from the Kenyan coastal city of Mombassa flocked to the Tanzanian capital of Dar es Salaam.
Kenyan Asians and their families crossed the border between Monday and Wednesday this week, and headed for key Tanzanian wildlife parks of Ngorongoro, Serengeti, Lake Manyara and Tarangire for a security holiday, fearing violence in the election process.
Some were quoted raising their fear on possible tribal clashes in central parts of Kenya where 700 people were killed during the campaign run ups. Rich Kenyan Asians have been a target to past election violence marked by robberies and killings.
But the Thursday voting process went smoothly here in Nairobi and life in this Kenyan capital remain calm and peaceful, though some reports from western parts said there were pockets of clashes between followers of incumbent President Mwai Kibaki and his closer rival Raila Odinga.
Three policemen were killed in Nyanza Province in Western Kenya Tuesday on allegations of taking a plan to rig the votes in favor of President Mwai Kibaki. The area is a political stronghold of Mr. Raila Odinga.
Strong and full armed police units have been deployed in the city, with tight security from other state organs. Christmas went normal with foreign tourists enjoying their holidays in big hotels and visiting Kenyan wildlife parks as usual.
Foreigners in Nairobi including travelers on transit to other parts of East Africa and the world enjoyed their stay in Nairobi without feelings of the ongoing election despite the voting fever among the Kenyans residing in the capital.
President Kibaki voted in his hometown of Othaya, some 200 kilometers (125 miles) from the capital, and told reporters of his confidence to lead this African nation for another five years.
“Let us work hard and finish the work in the remaining five years," Kibaki said soon after casting his vote with his wife and three children. He expressed his deep intention and confidence to serve Kenyans in the next five years to finish his constitutional term in office.
Chief of the European Union election monitor Alexander Graf Lambsdorff said that voters turned out in great numbers. More than 14 million Kenyans are eligible to elect the president, 210 members of parliament and more than 2,000 local councilors.
President Kibaki took office in 2002 after the former President Daniel arap Moi was barred by the constitution from extending his 24 years in power. Moi won in 1992 and 1997 in elections marked by allegations of vote-rigging.
The December 27 presidential election was strongly under tough competition between opposition candidate Raila Odinga, a former cabinet minister and supporter of President Mwai Kibaki, and Kalonzo Musyoka, a former cabinet minister.
In Nairobi, the US ambassador to Kenya, Michael Ranneberger, voiced his concern over possible violence in some parts of Kenya.
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Comments
It sickens me to see that even educated people such as the writer of the above article “Rich Kenyan Asians take security designed holidays” fell prey to his/her xenophobia. Since the rest of the article fails to tilt in that direction it appears that the report was made only to remind people that Asians are rich and run away at the slightest. Try being a Kenyan Asian and then talk. Whether the atmosphere is politically charged or not, one cannot get away from shouting such as MHINDI! MHINDI! I am a Kenyan Asian. I stayed in Kenya, voted in elections, and witnessed post election violence which led to Kenyan killing Kenyan in racist attacks. Asian houses have been taken over by hooligans as the owners fled the violence in western & Nyanza, rapes and near rapes of Asians, the “rich” owner of a supermarket watched (when in Kenya) his supermarket being looted and then torched to the ground, another reported that all his trucks were burnt and had to immediately leave in a convoy to Uganda. The same thing is happening to Kikuyus, Luos & other tribes. Never mind that scenes like this have occurred all over the continent with devastating effect. Despite all this Kenyan Asians (remember all the rich ones were off holidaying) are dropping donations while the African politician who just reversed 42 years of progress in a record 30 days just collected his K. Shs. 1,000,000/= (USD 15,000) pay cheque ,without any deductions, for the one day worked in January . BRAVO! This is the way to build a nation.
The article may have been written before the outbreak of violence but readers are not dumb and understand the connotations. From reader’s or journalistic point of view this article was not unbiased.
It sickens me to see that educated people like the writer of the above report falls pray to his xenophobia. The headline of the article Kenyan Asians take holidays. For God sake!! Try being an Asian in Kenya and then talk. MUHINDI! MUHINDI! shouted everytime the political tension is high.By the way I stayed in Kenya and voted in starehe. Since all africans believe Asians are rich then how come I did not go? Your article just wanted to tell the world that Kenyan Asians ran away so then tell it like it is. Today Kenyans are killing each other out of the xenophobia and guess who is dropping donations at Kibera. Its the Kenyan Asians who give back to their country unlike the african politician who has reversed the progress of this country in less than 30 days and who received his paycheck of over 1,000,000/= for the month of January. BRAVO! that is how to build a nation.
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