afrol News, 16 January - There has been yet another showdown between the police and opposition supporters protesting against the rigging of Kenya's disputed presidential polls results.

Police fired warning shots over the heads of protesters to disperse an opposition rally in the Western town of Kisumu.

There has been no confirmation of casualty, although some people sustained injuries as a result of the police stray bullets, which followed a confrontation with protesters in Kibera.

The main opposition Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) has called on its supporters to begin a three-day country-wide mass protests against the government.

Police have banned the protests, describing them as "inappropriate", especially in the face of the growing insecurity in the country. Police spokesman, Eric Kiraithe, said protests remain illegal under the current security situation.

As a result of heavy rain, thousands of protesters have been prevented from conducting demonstrations in the capital Nairobi.

ODM leader, Raila Odinga, had driven to Uhuru Park to join the party's supporters at a rally.

"Nothing will stop us from mounting such rallies. We will proceed to town," Odinga defiantly told journalists.

Several people have reportedly sustained injuries during a clash between the police and protesters in Mombasa where orotesters wore white ribbons, blocking main raods leading to the city.

Angry protesters in the opposition stronghold of Eldoret carried coffins symbolising the death of Kenyan democracy.

Kenya's political unrest has killed over 600 people, displaced a quarter of a million and caused untold damage to the country's economy.

Several international efforts to broker peace between President Mwai Kibaki and Raila Odinga had failed. Due to illness, the former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan could not fly to Nairobi to mediate the crisis.

Kenyan opposition celebrated one of their biggest victories last night upon winning the position of the speaker, the third most powerful official in the land. The ODM elected MP, Lawyer Kenneth Marende, had defeated the ruling PNU party's candidate, Francis Ole Kaparo in the third round of a tense five-year election.

The opposition has also captured the position of the deputy speaker. ODM said the latest victory is a clear sign that it had won the controversial December elections.

The new speaker said the development would obviously bar President Kibaki from dictating parliamentary business.

By staff writer

© afrol News

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