afrol News, 23 January - A clash between the police and opposition youths in the capital Nairobi has resulted to an abrupt end of a prayer meeting organised by the opposition Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) to pray for the victims of the post-electoral unrests.

It all started when a group of ODM youths expressed anger by the presence of the police at the prayer meeting in Kibera slum and started throwing stones at their [police] vehicles, resulting to chaos.

The irate youths went ahead to touch a nearby building hosting the state-owned telecommunications company Telkom.

The ODM leaders, including Raila Odinga, had left before the clashes erupted.

Police had earlier confirmed that unidentified armed men attack commuters in the east of Nairobi, killing three people. Eight of the attackers have been arrested.

Several international diplomatic efforts to normalise the situation in Kenya had failed. The country's political unrest continues to grow on a daily basis, with both sides accusing each other of fanning ethnic cleansing and abuse of human rights.

On Tuesday, the ODM leadership filed a complaint against the government for authorising the police to commit crimes against humanity by using excessive force during protests last week. The party said police action resulted to the death of more than 30 people.

The unrest, which began since 30 December last year, had killed 700 people and displaced 250,000 others. Hospital officials are now worried about the increasing rise in sexual assault on Kenyan displaced women.

But the fresh clashes occur as the former United Nations Secretary General is busy trying to douse the deadlock between the government and the opposition.

Though the party's three days of country-wide mass protests turned deadly, the ODM is still adamant to organise more protests. However, the party's Spokesman, Salim Lone said protests would be called off only after Annan's appeal.

Accompanied by Graça Machel, the former first lady of South Africa and the former President of Tanzania, Benjamin Mkapa, the former UN chief has been giving the challenging task of bringing the two sides to dialogue to end their differences.

He asked both sides to end the unrest for the "sake of Kenya and its people and for the sake of Africa."

"I am confident that, in this crucial endeavour, we can count on the will, maturity, resourcefulness and judgment of the leaders," Annan said.

By staff writer

© afrol News

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