'Rape as a Weapon' in Kenya, 10 More Killed

by Rob Walker | February 1, 2008 at 04:36 pm | 325 views | add comment

Kenya govt condemns opposition "sabotage" plan

Kenya's Odinga Declares Obama His Cousin as PeaceTalks Called Off

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While the opposition parties have agreed to talks and both have promised to attempt to end the violence that has plagued Kenya since the December 27 elections.

A recent UN report released today says that rape is being used as a political weapon, with over 152 reported cases in under a month.

See previous NowPublic stories here.

A United Nations report released February 1 shows rape is being used as a weapon in Kenya as the country is roiled in ethnic violence since the December elections. The survey of rape victims was conducted in the Nairobi Women's Hospital between December 27 and January 20 and describes the cases of 152 women, children and men who were sexually assaulted during the violence that broke out after Kenya's disputed presidential election at the end of December.

Fresh tribal fighting and rioting left at least 10 people, including a policeman, dead and dozens of houses torched in western Kenya on Friday, police said.
In one incident, thousands of armed villagers killed a police officer, razed a government office, stole four guns and 200 rounds of ammunition in Kericho district, a flashpoint of the latest violence sparked by the killing of an MP.

[q
url="http://www.guardian.co.uk/kenya/story/0,,2250795,00.html"]Kenya's
feuding political parties tonight agreed to new talks, as the death
toll from clashes following the killing of an opposition MP rose to at
least 13, including a police officer.[/q]There are some Canadians living in Nairobi and blogging about the situation.

According to reports, the truth has less to do with politics and more to do with romantic jealousy. It seems that Too was having an affair with the policeman’s girlfriend. The policeman, who has been arrested, shot his girlfriend twice in the stomach and then turned on the MP “hitting him four times in the head.”