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Gujaratis caught in Kenya violence

Hundreds of Gujarati businessmen have taken shelter in a temple in the Kenyan town of Kisumu after President Mwai Kibaki’s return to power triggered violence.

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Post-elections, over 100 killed in riots in the African country

BHAVNAGAR: Hundreds of Gujarati businessmen have taken shelter in a temple in the Kenyan town of Kisumu after President Mwai Kibaki’s return to power triggered violence in the country, killing over 100 people.

The fighting has pitched the Luos population, who are backing defeated opposition leader Raila Odinga, against Kibaki’s ethnic Kikuyu group.

Muljibhai Pindoliya, president of Hindu council of Africa, said over the phone that there are 43,000 Gujaratis in Nairobi and about 3,000 in Kisumu. With defeated presidential challenger Raila Odinga sticking to his guns after an allegedly rigged election and freshly re-elected President Mwai Kibaki vowing to assert his authority, the east African nation is locked in a crippling crisis.

The government has banned live TV broadcasts and flooded streets with security forces to defuse one of the most volatile situation in Kenya since its independence in 1963.

Kanti Rabadia, owner of an auto parts company in Kisumu — an opposition strong-hold and also the worst affected by the violence  — told DNA, “We haven’t come out of our homes for the past five days and God knows when we will be able to go to work.”

Rabadia said offices and factories belonging to Gujaratis had been looted and their houses attacked by local residents. Rabadiya said in 1998, when violence broke out in Nairobi, many Gujaratis had taken shelter in the Swaminarayan temple, but rioters set the place of worship on fire. “I fear a repeat of the 1998 incident. If security personnel fail to control the rioters in a day or two, then nearly 400 Gujaratis hiding in the temple are at risk,” he said.

The situation in Nairobi is as bad. Nilesh Jesani, who is attending a cricket camp in Bhavnagar, said he spoke to his parents in Nairobi on Monday night and they said the situation was tense there. “My parents told me stay in Bhavnagar till things return to normal. My return ticket to Nairobi was booked for January 20. But I will cancel it,” he said.

Most Gujaratis live in Parklands, Westlands, South Sea and Town Kirinaga Road in Nairobi. Naran Kerai, who has a construction business, said: “We knew violence of this proportion will break out in Kenya after the election. That’s why we stored milk powder, edible items and other provisions,” he said.

Dipak Halai, who is engaged in civil engineering work in Nairobi, said the country is losing two billion shillings ($31.45 million) worth of taxes daily due to the unrest caused by a delay in announcement of the presidential election results.

Shirish Goswami said: “I have been living in Nairobi for eight years on work permit. On July 1, I came back to Bhavnagar and would not like to go back to Kenya as there is no mental peace in that country. Twice I have been looted during my stay in Nairobi.”

Arvind Patel and his brother Dinesh Patel who are government contractors in Nairobi, said they were planning to visit their native town in Kutch, but have now cancelled their holiday plan.

“We have locked ourselves in the house. We are not able to talk with anyone as our mobiles and landlines are not working properly. We are also out of touch with the outside world as the government has banned all TV channels,” he said.

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