Pre-election violence in Kenya

Most attention is focused on the presidential race

By Joseph Warungu BBC, Nairobi

The process by political parties in Kenya to nominate parliamentary candidates for the 27 December election has had a troubled start.

On Wednesday, isolated incidents of violence and logistical hiccups forcing them to extend their deadline, but on Friday the violence got out of hand.

Election candidates

Uhuru Kenyatta

Mwai Kibaki

Simeon Nyachae

James Orengo

Waweru Ng'ethe

Armed men opened fire on a truck ferrying some 20 people headed for a nomination centre in Marakwet district in north west Kenya, an area infamous for banditry.

Six people died in the early morning attack and 13 others were injured, some of them seriously. The injured were admitted to Kapsowor Mission hospital.

Clashes

In Mombasa, a clash between supporters of rival civic election candidates left two people with serious knife injuries, while in Nairobi, a mob stormed the headquarters of the Main Narc opposition party complaining of irregularities in the Narc nominations exercise.

Veteran Mwai Kibaki leads the main opposition alliance

Kanu too has had its fair share of problems. In the Dujis area of north-eastern Kenya, police had to use tear gas to disperse rival Kanu supporters after attempts to complete the nomination of Kanu's parliamentary candidate ended in chaos for a second day running.

This leaves the political future of Medical Services Minister Maalim Mohammed hanging in the balance.

Other ministers and senior politicians have however suffered a more definite blow after they were defeated at the primaries.

Among the senior Kanu and opposition politicians who's race for parliament has been ended prematurely is President Moi's eldest son, Jonathan Toroitich and veteran opposition politician Lawrence Sifuna.

Scramble

Many constituencies remain in limbo following numerous petitions by losing candidates who are desperately pushing their parties for a re-run of the poll.

Others are busy dumping the parties they lost in and hurriedly defecting to other parties.

A prominent Kanu former MP, Kihika Kimani, who was hoping for a place in the records books as the only man whose family occupied three constituencies at once had his parliamentary dream shattered today after he and his two wives lost the Kanu nominations in three separate constituencies in Rift Valley province.

And in Mombasa, at the coast, a 22 year old local government candidate broke down in public after pick pockets brought his new political career to an abrupt halt by making away with vital nomination documents without which he cannot take part in the election.

More drama is expected in the three days remaining before the nomination exercise ends.