Blasts rip through Kenyan protest rally, killing six

FEARS were raised of a return to tit-for-tat political violence in Kenya yesterday after two explosions ripped through a campaign rally, killing six people.

At least 75 others were injured when the twin blasts sparked a stampede as thousands of people left a protest meeting called by powerful Christian churches to oppose a new constitution.

Campaigning for an August referendum on the draft is polarising Kenya, much as a 2005 vote on an earlier version laid the foundations for the violence which killed 1,300 people after the 2007 presidential election.

The two home-made bombs were detonated late on Sunday in Uhuru Park in the centre of the capital, Nairobi.

Five people died in hospital. Another man, who was apparently wounded but then staggered to his car to try to drive to find help, was found dead yesterday morning.

The international community has stressed Kenya must enact reform to key state institutions in order to avoid a return to election violence during the next national poll in 2012.

The new constitution would restrict sweeping presidential powers, strengthen the courts system and overhaul existing policies seen as protecting powerful politicians alleged to have stolen vast tracts of land.

But there is growing opposition to the draft, led by the powerful Christian lobby – particularly Catholic and evangelical churches – which is campaigning for a No vote in the 4 August poll.

They claim the draft eases laws on abortion and allows special Islamic courts.

Last night, church leaders blamed Kenya's government for "directly or indirectly" orchestrating the explosions.

"We are in no doubt that the government, either directly or indirectly, had a hand in this attack," the National Council of Churches of Kenya (NCCK) said in a statement.

"Who else in this country holds explosive devices?"

The allegation was signed by the NCCK and 14 other church organisations.

Kenya has a history of political violence stretching back almost 20 years, but most flare-ups have taken place in limited pockets and only during or after national presidential polls.

Both sides of the referendum campaign urged restraint and calm yesterday in a bid to avert further violence.

"People should wait and let our investigations run their course before they start pointing fingers of blame," a Kenyan police spokesman said.

The No campaign has been incensed by what it sees as biased international support for the rival Yes camp, led by President Mwai Kibaki and Prime Minister Raila Odinga.

US vice-president Joe Biden last week visited Nairobi and made clear that continued Western support for Kenya rested on successful political and constitutional reform.

"They are trying to bribe our people into agreeing a new constitution or there will be no more aid," said one of the pastors addressing the 2,000-strong crowd at Sunday's rally.

However, many commentators argued that this rhetoric sounded like "desperation".

Kenyan blogs, Facebook and Twitter posts were all full of claims yesterday that the No campaign had run out of arguments to swing voters.

Opinion polls have so far reported that an average 58 percent of Kenyans support the new constitution.

"Suggestions that the government is behind the bombing of its own people, when in effect their side is so far ahead in terms of referendum support, border on desperation," said Hassan Omar Hassan, vice-chair of the Kenya National Human Rights Commission.

"Clearly someone was out deliberately to escalate tensions, to try to create a crisis.

"I'm sure we will find that they will fail."

The Foreign Office in London last night amended its travel advice for Kenya to remind British visitors to avoid political rallies or public demonstrations.