MDN
Kenia
elcomercio

Kenia

  • Nurses and doctors work to stabilise Victor Odhiambo (in the background), 22, who sustained a gunshot wound to the forearm on October 26, 2017 in Kisumu. Kenyans trickled into polling stations on October 26 for a repeat election that has polarised the nation, amid sporadic clashes as supporters of opposition leader ignored his call to stay away and tried to block voting. / AFP / Jennifer Huxta
    1 / 14

    Nurses and doctors work to stabilise Victor Odhiambo (in the background), 22, who sustained a gunshot wound to the forearm on October 26, 2017 in Kisumu. Kenyans trickled into polling stations on October 26 for a repeat election that has polarised the nation, amid sporadic clashes as supporters of opposition leader ignored his call to stay away and tried to block voting. / AFP / Jennifer Huxta

  • Police officers stand during clashes with opposition supporters in Kibera slum in Nairobi, Kenya October 26, 2017. REUTERS/Goran Tomasevic
    2 / 14

    Police officers stand during clashes with opposition supporters in Kibera slum in Nairobi, Kenya October 26, 2017. REUTERS/Goran Tomasevic

  • A policeman chases protester during clashes in Kibera slum in Nairobi, Kenya, Thursday, Oct. 26, 2017. Kenyan police on Thursday fired tear gas at stone-throwing protesters in some opposition areas after the start of Kenya's second presidential election since August, reflecting bitter divisions in a country whose main opposition leader urged his followers to boycott the vote. (AP Photo/Darko Bandic)
    3 / 14

    A policeman chases protester during clashes in Kibera slum in Nairobi, Kenya, Thursday, Oct. 26, 2017. Kenyan police on Thursday fired tear gas at stone-throwing protesters in some opposition areas after the start of Kenya's second presidential election since August, reflecting bitter divisions in a country whose main opposition leader urged his followers to boycott the vote. (AP Photo/Darko Bandic)

  • Residents throw stones towards Kenyan police officials as they clash at Katwekera village within Kibera slum - a stronghold of opposition leader Raila Odinga - in Nairobi on October 26, 2017, as voting in Kenya's repeat presidential poll kicked off on a low turn-out at polling stations in the slum. Kenyan police clashed with opposition protesters in parts of Nairobi and in the west of the country who tried to block voting in an election boycotted by their leader Raila Odinga, AFP correspondents said. In several western towns, protesters blocked roads and barricaded the entrances to polling stations, lobbing rocks at police who fired teargas to disperse them. In the slums of the Kenyan capital, police also engaged in running battles with residents trying to prevent voting. / AFP / TONY KARUMBA
    4 / 14

    Residents throw stones towards Kenyan police officials as they clash at Katwekera village within Kibera slum - a stronghold of opposition leader Raila Odinga - in Nairobi on October 26, 2017, as voting in Kenya's repeat presidential poll kicked off on a low turn-out at polling stations in the slum. Kenyan police clashed with opposition protesters in parts of Nairobi and in the west of the country who tried to block voting in an election boycotted by their leader Raila Odinga, AFP correspondents said. In several western towns, protesters blocked roads and barricaded the entrances to polling stations, lobbing rocks at police who fired teargas to disperse them. In the slums of the Kenyan capital, police also engaged in running battles with residents trying to prevent voting. / AFP / TONY KARUMBA

  • Opposition supporters carry a man into an ambulance vehicle during clashes with police in Kibera slum in Nairobi, Kenya October 26, 2017. REUTERS/Goran Tomasevic
    5 / 14

    Opposition supporters carry a man into an ambulance vehicle during clashes with police in Kibera slum in Nairobi, Kenya October 26, 2017. REUTERS/Goran Tomasevic

  • Kenyan police officers, who were caught between bands of stone-throwing residents of Katwekera village within Kibera slum - a stronghold of opposition leader Raila Odinga - charge out in Nairobi on October 26, 2017, as voting in Kenya's repeat presidential poll kicked off on a low turn-out at polling stations in the slum. Kenyan police clashed with opposition protesters in parts of Nairobi and in the west of the country who tried to block voting in an election boycotted by their leader Raila Odinga, AFP correspondents said. In several western towns, protesters blocked roads and barricaded the entrances to polling stations, lobbing rocks at police who fired teargas to disperse them. In the slums of the Kenyan capital, police also engaged in running battles with residents trying to prevent voting. / AFP / TONY KARUMBA
    6 / 14

    Kenyan police officers, who were caught between bands of stone-throwing residents of Katwekera village within Kibera slum - a stronghold of opposition leader Raila Odinga - charge out in Nairobi on October 26, 2017, as voting in Kenya's repeat presidential poll kicked off on a low turn-out at polling stations in the slum. Kenyan police clashed with opposition protesters in parts of Nairobi and in the west of the country who tried to block voting in an election boycotted by their leader Raila Odinga, AFP correspondents said. In several western towns, protesters blocked roads and barricaded the entrances to polling stations, lobbing rocks at police who fired teargas to disperse them. In the slums of the Kenyan capital, police also engaged in running battles with residents trying to prevent voting. / AFP / TONY KARUMBA

  • Riot police are deployed to disperse supporters of Kenyan opposition leader Raila Odinga protesting the presidential election re-run in Kibera slums of Nairobi, Kenya October 26, 2017. REUTERS/Thomas Mukoya
    7 / 14

    Riot police are deployed to disperse supporters of Kenyan opposition leader Raila Odinga protesting the presidential election re-run in Kibera slums of Nairobi, Kenya October 26, 2017. REUTERS/Thomas Mukoya

  • Police officers detain an opposition supporter during a protest in the slum area of Mathare in the capital Nairobi, Kenya, October 26, 2017. REUTERS/Siegfried Modola
    8 / 14

    Police officers detain an opposition supporter during a protest in the slum area of Mathare in the capital Nairobi, Kenya, October 26, 2017. REUTERS/Siegfried Modola

  • Opposition supporters run during clashes with police in Kibera slum in Nairobi, Kenya, Thursday, Oct. 26, 2017. Kenya is holding the rerun of its disputed presidential election Thursday, despite a boycott by the main opposition party and rising political tensions in the East African country.(AP Photo/Darko Bandic)
    9 / 14

    Opposition supporters run during clashes with police in Kibera slum in Nairobi, Kenya, Thursday, Oct. 26, 2017. Kenya is holding the rerun of its disputed presidential election Thursday, despite a boycott by the main opposition party and rising political tensions in the East African country.(AP Photo/Darko Bandic)

  • Kenyan police check a street with a burning barrricade in Mathare, north eastern Nairobi on October 26, 2017, as a group of demonstrators attempted to prevent voters from accessing a polling station in presidential elections. / AFP / LUIS TATO
    10 / 14

    Kenyan police check a street with a burning barrricade in Mathare, north eastern Nairobi on October 26, 2017, as a group of demonstrators attempted to prevent voters from accessing a polling station in presidential elections. / AFP / LUIS TATO

  • Opposition protesters taunt riot police to come and get them, as they stand behind a burning barricade during clashes with police in the Mathare slum of Nairobi, Kenya Thursday, Oct. 26, 2017. Opposition supporters boycotted Thursday's rerun of Kenya's disputed presidential election, clashing with police in some parts of the East African country and forcing authorities to postpone voting in areas affected by the violence. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis)
    11 / 14

    Opposition protesters taunt riot police to come and get them, as they stand behind a burning barricade during clashes with police in the Mathare slum of Nairobi, Kenya Thursday, Oct. 26, 2017. Opposition supporters boycotted Thursday's rerun of Kenya's disputed presidential election, clashing with police in some parts of the East African country and forcing authorities to postpone voting in areas affected by the violence. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis)

  • An anti-riot police officer walks by burning tires from supporters of National Super Alliance (NASA) presidential candidate Raila Odinga at Kondele roundabout where a polling staion was supposed to be setup for the Kenyan presidencial election in Kisumu early on October 26, 2017. Kenyans began voting on October 26 in a repeat election that has polarised the nation and is likely to be fiercely disputed in the absence of opposition leader Raila Odinga, who is boycotting the vote. / AFP / YASUYOSHI CHIBA
    12 / 14

    An anti-riot police officer walks by burning tires from supporters of National Super Alliance (NASA) presidential candidate Raila Odinga at Kondele roundabout where a polling staion was supposed to be setup for the Kenyan presidencial election in Kisumu early on October 26, 2017. Kenyans began voting on October 26 in a repeat election that has polarised the nation and is likely to be fiercely disputed in the absence of opposition leader Raila Odinga, who is boycotting the vote. / AFP / YASUYOSHI CHIBA

  • A protester brandishing a machete and a knife prepares to take cover from incoming tear gas canisters during clashes with police forces in Kibera, Nairobi, on October 26, 2017. Kenyans trickled into polling stations today for a repeat election that has polarised the nation, amid sporadic clashes as supporters of opposition leader ignored his call to stay away and tried to block voting. / AFP / MARCO LONGARI
    13 / 14

    A protester brandishing a machete and a knife prepares to take cover from incoming tear gas canisters during clashes with police forces in Kibera, Nairobi, on October 26, 2017. Kenyans trickled into polling stations today for a repeat election that has polarised the nation, amid sporadic clashes as supporters of opposition leader ignored his call to stay away and tried to block voting. / AFP / MARCO LONGARI

  • An opposition supporter gestures with a knife during clashes with police in Kibera slum in Nairobi, Kenya October 26, 2017. REUTERS/Goran Tomasevic TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY
    14 / 14

    An opposition supporter gestures with a knife during clashes with police in Kibera slum in Nairobi, Kenya October 26, 2017. REUTERS/Goran Tomasevic TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY

Nairobi. Los ciudadanos de se levantaron el jueves último divididos entre los que acudieron a depositar su voto y quienes secundaron la llamada de la oposición para boicotear la repetición de las presidenciales del pasado mes de agosto, que fueron anuladas por el Tribunal Supremo tras numerosas irregularidades.

Una tímida lluvia servía de excusa a los indecisos en una tensa jornada marcada por dos escenarios distintos: la guerra con la policía en los tradicionales bastiones de la oposición y la paz del resto de las calles.

Según medios locales, cuatro personas han perdido la vida -entre ellas un niño de 14 años- por disparos de la policía en manifestaciones de las poblaciones de Kisumu, Siaya o Homa Bay (oeste) y en los barrios chabolistas de Kibera y Mathare (Nairobi).

Barricadas, gas lacrimógeno, disparos al aire, camiones hidrantes, colegios electorales cerrados por acciones de boicot y representantes de la autoridad electoral huyendo de los centros de votación por el peligro que corrían sus vidas han sido la tónica en los feudos de la oposición.

"Empecé a escuchar los disparos a las seis de la mañana", cuenta a Efe Ivonne, una ciudadana del barrio de chabolas de Kibera, uno de los más grandes del mundo, que aseguró que aún bien entrada la tarde seguía oyendo tiros y explosiones de granadas con gases.

"No voy a votar de ninguna manera. Hoy nos quedamos en casa. Raila Odinga (el líder de la oposición) ha llamado al boicot y vamos a seguirlo", dijo a Efe un ciudadano de otro de los barrios de chabolas de la capital, Kawangware.

Pese a que el líder de la oposición les pidió que se quedaran en casa, algunos ciudadanos salieron a las calles a protestar contra un proceso electoral que consideran una "farsa".

Estos altercados han impedido que ciudadanos como Mûtûra Kuria, vecino del barrio chabolista de Korogocho (Nairobi) hayan podido ir a votar. "La tensión es muy alta, no voy a votar por seguridad, puedo escuchar los disparos en mi barrio", aseguró a Efe.

Fuera de las favelas y de las poblaciones mayoritariamente favorables a la oposición, los electores votaban por la que consideran como opción más estable -y seguramente la única viable-, el presidente Uhuru Kenyatta, que gobierna el país desde 2013.

Sin embargo, a diferencia de los comicios del pasado agosto, no hubo largas colas para ejercer el voto. En colegios como Saint Georges, en la capital, votar llevaba diez minutos, nada que ver con las nueve horas que algunos necesitaron en la jornada anulada.

Parte de la gente aparecía confundida y cansada por la situación que el país soporta desde hace dos meses y medio, con la economía desplomada, colegios y universidades cerrados y proyectos de desarrollo detenidos, todo a la espera de un proceso electoral que al menos ya es histórico en África.

"No podemos seguir así durante más tiempo. La situación está llegando a límites insospechados", cuenta a Efe otra keniana, Veronique, indignada por haber perdido la matrícula escolar de sus hijos este trimestre y tenerlos en casa de brazos cruzados.

Con un ojo puesto en el pasado, cuando la violencia postelectoral de 2007 dejó 1.100 muertos y 600.000 desplazados, Ivonne se asoma a la ventana de su chabola y reflexiona en voz alta: "Mi vida se ha detenido por el afán de los líderes políticos".

Mientras, espera a que los disparos terminen para poder hacer la compra o recargar el saldo de su teléfono móvil.

Sin embargo, la espera se alargará, porque la Comisión Electoral ha pospuesto los comicios hasta el sábado en algunas zonas del país por los disturbios.

"Kenia es un lugar bonito con gente bonita, pero está rota por la lucha de políticos", sentencia Veronique.

Fuente: EFE
LEE MÁS DE MUNDO EN:

TAGS

Contenido sugerido

Contenido GEC