By DPA
Nairobi : At least 54 people were killed as violence continued to rock Kenya a day after President Mwai Kibaki was returned to power in closely contested elections that have inflamed ethnic tensions.
Houses belonging to Kikuyus, Kibaki’s tribe, were burned around the country, with parts of some slums flattened and stores looted by angry supporters of the Luo tribe of defeated presidential candidate Raila Odinga.
Riot police lobbed tear-gas shells and fired shots into the air Monday to disperse disgruntled mobs.
The Red Cross said at least 54 people were killed since Thursday’s polls, but local television station KTN put the number at 82 with at least 46 people killed in western Kenya.
“This was one of the scenarios that we anticipated would happen. Many places are no-go zones for us. Many areas are inaccessible and that is a major problem for us,” said Abbas Gullet, head of the Kenya Red Cross Society.
He said at least 315 people have been wounded countrywide since the start of the polls and many Kikuyus had to seek shelter in police stations.
Heavily armed riot police were deployed around the capital as protestors flinging stones attempted to march to the city centre, which looked like a ghost town, but were prevented, leaving a trail of destruction in their way.
After Kibaki Sunday was declared winner riots erupted around Nairobi and across the country in protest at what Odinga has alleged were rigged elections.
The European Union has voiced doubt over the accuracy of the results, which put Kibaki at 4.58 million votes over Odinga’s 4.35 million.
The violence, which has exposed deep tribal tensions, marks a disturbing change in Kenya, which is seen as a beacon of stability in a troubled region.