Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta's re-election claims 24 lives: Human rights

Pic courtesy: ANI

Nairobi: The Kenya National Commission on Human Rights confirmed on Saturday that 24 people, including 17 in Nairobi, were killed in the post-election violence since Tuesday that erupted after the re-election of President Uhuru Kenyatta.

Violent clashes have been continuing between residents of Kisumu, an opposition stronghold and police officials since Tuesday after supporters of the opposition National Super Alliance (NASA) rejected President Uhuru Kenyatta's re-election.

"Specifically, these cases indicate that the casualties were felled by bullets and the same has been corroborated by family and community members who have indicated that they were killed during the protests which broke out in various parts of the country," CNN quoted the independent rights group statement.

Kenyatta, the 55-year-old son of the country's founding President, won a second five-year term Friday, defeating veteran opposition leader and longtime rival Raila Odinga in a tense contest.

Police has been using excessive force in and around Kisumu, a stronghold of defeated opposition leader Odinga,by cutting off electricity, sprayed live bullets into crowds, fired tear gas and blasted them with water cannons. The police has been conducted house-to-house raids in parts of the city and residents accused some officers of beating them with clubs and stealing money from them. The police in Kisumu declined to comment on the allegations.

Protests erupted in and around Kisumu, wherein one person was killed overnight, police said. Violence also broke out in Nairobi's slum of Mathare, where tear gas and gunshots rang out all night.

Amnesty International called on the authorities to investigate reports that police shot dead demonstrators in opposition strongholds.

"Everyone has a right to peaceful protest and they must not be hurt, injured or killed for exercising that right," Muthoni Wanyeki, the organization's regional director, said in a statement.