Kenya Rocked By Nationwide Anti-Government Protests Over Gas Tax And Cost Of Living

 

ABC News: 6 dead as Kenya rocked by nationwide anti-government protests over gas tax, Amnesty says  

An opposition leader called for three days of protests against a finance bill. 

LONDON -- Kenya was bracing for days of anti-government protests led by the government's political opposition over a contentious new finance bill and the rising cost of living.

At least six people were shot and killed and at least a dozen others were injured on Wednesday, the first day of a planned three-day protest against higher taxes, Mathias Kinyoda, of Amnesty International Kenya, told ABC News. At least 87 demonstrators were arrested nationwide, he said. 

The protests were called by opposition leader Raila Odinga. The unrest was set to take place despite Kenya's President William Ruto vowing no protests would take place in the East African Nation.  

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WNU Editor: We shall see if this will pass .... Kenyan anti-tax protests muted as police clamp down (Reuters). 

Kenya Rocked By Nationwide Anti-Government Protests Over Gas Tax And Cost Of Living  

Kenya police are told not to report deaths during protests. A watchdog says they killed 6 this week -- AP  

Antigovernment Protests in Kenya Leave Several Dead and Streets in Chaos -- New York Times  

Kenya Azimio demonstrations: Six reported dead in anti-government protests -- BBC  

Anger boils over as Kenya’s cost of living protests shake the nation -- CNN

Kenya anti-government protests escalate, leading to deaths, violent clashes and arrests -- Jurist

Kenya Deploys Troops To Eastern DRC To Fight Rebel Advance

 

Al Jazeera: Kenya deploys hundreds of troops to regional force in eastern DRC 

President Ruto is sending more than 900 military personnel to tackle armed groups in eastern DRC. 

Kenyan President William Ruto says his country is sending more than 900 military personnel to the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) to join a new regional force tasked with trying to calm deadly tensions fueled by armed groups. 

Ruto on Wednesday called the mission “necessary and urgent” for regional security and said he and the DRC’s president had agreed on how Kenyan forces would work with Congolese and other forces on disarming rebels and peacekeeping in the country’s troubled east.  

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WNU Editor: Fighting between different groups has been intense in this part of eastern Congo .... Fighting in DRC's North Kivu leads to mass displacement of population (France 24). More here .... UN troops in DRC make ‘strategic withdrawal’ from key army base (Al Jazeera). 

My prediction. Kenya has not succeeded in subduing Al Shabaab in Somalia, and they will not succeed in the DRC. 

Kenya Deploys Troops To Eastern DRC To Fight Rebel Advance  

Kenya deploys hundreds to regional force in eastern Congo -- AP 

Kenya deploys troops to Congo to help end decades of bloodshed -- Reuters  

Kenya sending troops to DR Congo to fight rebel advance -- AFP  

Kenya Deploys Troops to DRC to Quell Eastern Unrest -- VOA  

Kenya to send soldiers into Democratic Republic of Congo -- DW Kenya sends troops to DRC to join regional anti-rebel operation -- RFI

Chaos In Kenya Over Election Results

 

Daily Mail: Kenyan presidential election count descends into violent brawl with voting officials disowning the results minutes before deputy leader William Ruto is declared winner 

* Brawl broke out before announcement of the winner in Kenyan elections 

* William Ruto declared winner amid accusations of vote rigging by opposition 

* Announcement was delayed by four hours as confusion reigned at tally centre 

* Four out of seven election commissioners said they couldn't recognise results 

* Mr Ruto promised to run a 'transparent, open and democratic government' 

A brawl broke out between officials at Kenya's election results centre in Nairobi amid accusations of vote rigging and a delayed announcement, with William Ruto controversially declared the winner. 

Supporters of rival presidential candidate Raila Odinga were up in arms as four out of seven election commissioners said they could not recognise the results nor take part in the announcement.  

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Chaos In Kenya Over Election Results  

Kenya’s Ruto declared president after last-minute chaos -- AP  

Senior Kenyan election officials disown the results of presidential election -- Reuters  

Kenya: Ruto declared presidential race winner after chaos over vote count -- DW  

William Ruto declared winner of Kenya presidential election amid dispute -- The Guardian  

Confusion in Kenya as Ruto Declared Winner of Presidential Vote Despite Unclear Tally -- VOA 

William Ruto declared winner of Kenya presidential election -- Axios

Kenyan President Kenyatta Re-Elected With 98 Percent Of The Vote In An Election Boycotted By The Opposition

Guardian: Kenyan president declared winner of disputed election rerun

Incumbent Uhuru Kenyatta’s overwhelming victory achieved on meagre 38% turnout after opposition boycott

Kenya’s president Uhuru Kenyatta has been declared the winner in the country’s second general election in three months, amid fears of prolonged political turmoil.

Last week’s rerun of presidential polls, controversially ordered by the supreme court, was marred by violent clashes between security forces and an opposition boycott.

Kenyatta, 55, won 98% of the vote, the election commission said. With his victory never in doubt, attention has focused on the 38% turnout.

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WNU Editor: Kenya's tribal divisions have just gotten worse.

More News On Kenyan President Kenyatta Re-Elected With 98 Percent Of The Vote

Kenyan President Kenyatta re-elected with 98 percent of vote: commission -- Reuters
Kenya president scores massive win in election rerun that most boycotted -- Washington Post
Kenya Declares President Kenyatta Winner Of Disputed Election -- NPR
Kenyatta Named Winner of Kenyan Vote Rerun as Odinga Cries Foul -- Bloomberg
Kenya’s president has been re-elected with more than 98% of the vote—but a political stand-off persists -- Quartz

Kenya's Supreme Court Rules That The Last Presidential Election Is Invalid. A New Election Must Be Called

New York Times: Kenya Supreme Court Nullifies Presidential Election

NAIROBI, Kenya — In a historic ruling and a first in Africa, the Kenyan Supreme Court nullified on Friday the re-election of a sitting president, ordering a new vote to be held within 60 days after its stunning decision that balloting last month had been tainted by irregularities.

The Aug. 8 election was conducted peacefully and was largely praised by international observers. But David Maraga, the court’s chief justice, declared the result “invalid, null and void” after siding with the opposition, which had argued that the vote had been hacked and electronically manipulated to assure a victory for President Uhuru Kenyatta.

Mr. Kenyatta, 55, was re-elected with 54 percent of the vote, easily surpassing the 50 percent threshold needed to avoid a runoff. His main challenger, Raila Odinga, 72, who had petitioned the Supreme Court to nullify the election, received about 44 percent, a difference of about 1.4 million votes. A parallel tally by domestic observers endorsed the official result.

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WNU Editor: I have friends in Kenya, and they are shocked that the Supreme Court went this far in their ruling. No one expected this.

More News On Kenya's Supreme Court Ruling That The Last Presidential Election Is Invalid

Kenya's Supreme Court declares presidential vote invalid, calls for new poll -- Reuters
Kenya court nullifies president's win, calls for new vote -- FOX News/AP
Shock as Kenya court cancels election result, demands re-run -- AFP
Kenya Supreme Court Nullifies Election, Calls for New Vote -- VOA
Kenya’s Supreme Court annuls presidential election result for irregularities, orders new vote -- Washington Post
Kenya's Supreme Court orders rerun of disputed presidential election -- CNN
Jubilee leaders react to nullification of Uhuru Kenyatta's win -- Standard Digital

Kenya Presidential Election news Updates -- August 9, 2017

Reuters: Kenya opposition leader says election website hacked to show president in lead

NAIROBI (Reuters) - Kenya's opposition leader Raila Odinga said on Wednesday the election commission's computer system was hacked and fake results posted to show President Uhuru Kenyatta with a strong lead in a case of massive fraud.

The election commission said Tuesday's vote was free and fair and it was investigating whether or not its computer systems and vote-tallying database had been compromised.

Odinga's comments raised concerns of unrest over the results in Kenya, East Africa's leading economy and a regional hub. Around 1,200 people died in violence after a disputed election in 2007.

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Kenya Presidential Election News Updates -- August 9, 2017

The Latest: Kenya suspends trains as violent protests erupt -- AP
Violent protests in Kenya as opposition alleges vote fraud -- AP
Kenyan opposition leader claims 'hacking', rejects election results -- France 24
Kenya police, protesters clash after poll fraud claim -- Al Jazeeera
Kenya election 2017: Raila Odinga says election systems hacked -- BBC
Kenya opposition leader claims election fraud as president leads -- Financial Times
Kenyatta takes the lead in Kenya's divisive election as Odinga rejects results -- DW

Kenyans Go To The Polls Today To Elect A Presdient

New York Times: Kenyan Presidential Election Is Peaceful; Violence Feared Over Results

KISUMU, Kenya — Millions of Kenyans went to the polls on Tuesday to vote for a new president, the culmination of a campaign dominated by concerns about the potential for vote-rigging and fears that the country will be plunged into violence once the winner is announced.

The election was carried out peacefully and there were few technical glitches compared to the previous poll, in 2013, when voting machines were afflicted by widespread malfunctions. An election in 2007, widely believed to have been flawed, touched off bloodshed that left at least 1,300 people dead and 600,000 displaced.

In the run-up to this year’s vote, fake news reports, candidates’ accusations of peddling hatred and electoral fraud, and the killing of a top election official cast further doubt on the fairness of the race between President Uhuru Kenyatta, 55, leader of the Jubilee Party, and Raila Odinga, 72, a former prime minister who was making his fourth, and possibly last, bid for the presidency.

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More News On Today's Election In Kenya

The Latest: Kenyan President votes in tight elections -- ABC News/AP
Vote counting begins in Kenya's hotly contested elections -- Washington Post
Kenya counts votes in tight presidential election amid fears of violence -- The Telegraph
Kenyans Vote in Hotly Contested Elections -- VOA
Kenya election: Voters endure long lines to cast ballots -- CNN
Jittery Kenyans vote in national elections -- Yahoo 7
Kenyans vote amidst ethnic divide -- DW
Who are the men competing to be president of Kenya? -- Washington Post

Kenya To Close The World’s Largest Refugee Camp

An aerial shot of Dadaab, the world's biggest refuge camp. Daily Star

The Guardian: Kenya says it will shut world's biggest refugee camp at Dadaab

Government vows to close camp, home to 330,000 mostly Somali refugees, and send them back home or on to other countries.

Kenya has vowed to close the world’s biggest refugee camp within a year and send hundreds of thousands of Somalis back to their war-torn homeland or on to other countries, a plan decried by aid and human rights groups as dangerous, illegal and impractical.

Kenya says it needs to close the sprawling Dadaab camp, home to 330,000 mostly Somali refugees, to protect the country’s security after a string of terror attacks by al-Shabaab.

The Somalia-based militant group was behind the massacre of nearly 150 students at a university last summer, the Westgate mall siege in Nairobi in 2013 and the killings of civilians across Kenya.

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More News On Kenya Closing Down Its Refugee Camps

Kenya to Close Dadaab, World's Biggest Refugee Camp -- AP
Largest Refugee Camp Pictures: In Kenya, Dangerous Dadaab Camp Ordered Closed -- IBTimes
Kenya Begins Immediate Repatriation of Refugees in Dadaab Camp -- Bloomberg
Kenya is pulling welcome mat on 600,000 refugees, triggering fear of another mass migration -- L.A. Times
Dadaab refugee camp will be closed by May 2017 - Kibicho -- The Star
Why Kenya’s threat to close its refugee camps is even worse than you think -- Stephanie Schwartz, Washington Post

Kenya's Counterterrorism Police Admit To Running Death Squads Targeting Militants That Have Been Identified By Western Intelligence

Exclusive: Kenyan Counterterrorism Police Admit To Extrajudicial Killings -- Al Jazeera

Kenyan officers suggest program in which terrorism suspects were killed without trial on basis of Western intelligence

Kenyan police have assassinated nearly 500 terrorism suspects as part of an extrajudicial killing program supported by intelligence provided by Israel and the United Kingdom, an Al Jazeera investigation has revealed.

Officers from four units of Kenya’s Anti-Terrorism Police Unit (ATPU) said that police assassinated terrorist suspects on government orders.

The police killings, according to an ATPU officer, were ordered by Kenya’s National Security Council and run into the hundreds every year. “Day in, day out, you hear of eliminating suspects," the officer said.

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More News On Kenya's Counterterrorism Police Admitting To Running Death Squads

Kenya Security Assassinating Islamist Militants, al-Jazeera Says -- Bloomberg
Inside the Kenyan police units accused of hunting down and assassinating terror suspects in the country after 60 people are killed in two separate attacks -- Daily Mail
Kenya's officers admit to to illegal killing of suspects -- Ahram Online
Britain accused of complicity in Kenyan death squad terrorism suspect killings -- The Guardian
Kenyan elimination programs: UK accused of complicity -- RT
The trap of insecurity: Extrajudicial killings in Kenya -- Abdullahi Boru Halakhe, Al Jazeera

Kenya Replaces Security Chiefs After Latest al-Shabaab Massacre

Kenya al-Shabab Massacre: Kenyatta Replaces Security Chiefs -- BBC

Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta has replaced his interior minister and police chief following a massacre by Islamist group al-Shabab.

The president asked Kenyans to unite, and said: "We will not flinch in war against terrorists."

Kenya's police chief David Kimaiyo stood down, while Interior Minister Joseph Ole Lenku was dismissed.

Earlier, al-Shabab killed 36 quarry workers in the north-eastern Mandera region near the Somali border.

The group attacked the workers around midnight on Monday while they were asleep in tents at the quarry in Kormey, 15km (9 miles) from the town of Mandera.

Non-Muslim workers were shot dead after being separated from the Muslims.

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More News On Kenya Replacing Its Security Chiefs After The Latest al-Shabaab Massacre

Kenyan president changes security officials after al Shabaab kill 36 -- Reuters
Kenya security shakeup after extremist killings -- Bloomberg Buisnessweek/AP
Kenyan Leader Replaces Top Security Officials After Attacks -- Bloomberg
Kenyan Security Leaders Replaced After Deadly Attack -- VOA
Kenya's interior minister sacked after attack -- Deutsche Welle
Kenya security chiefs ousted after new Shebab massacre -- Daily Star/AFP
Militants massacre 36 in Kenya; gov't orders shake-up -- USA Today
Islamic militants murder 36 Kenyan quarry workers: Non-Muslims shot and decapitated and lined up in gruesome picture by al-Shabaab -- Daily Mail
Extremist attack singles out non-Muslims again in Kenya -- CBS/AP
Al-Shabaab Claims Responsibility for Killing 36 in North Kenya -- Bloomberg
Kenya shocked by al-Shabab terror -- Deutsche Welle

Al-Shabaab Attacks On Kenya's Coast Kill 29 As Foreign Tourist Shot Dead

Fresh Al-Shabaab Raids Near Kenya's Coast Kill 29 As Foreign Tourist Shot Dead -- The Telegraph

Somali-based Islamists say they carried out deadly new attacks weeks after 73 died close to Lamu island

Al-Shabaab gunmen killed 29 people in twin raids near Kenya's coast on Saturday, as a foreign tourist was shot dead further south, highlighting the region's growing insecurity.

Groups armed with assault rifles raided two towns late on Saturday, breaking into a police station in one and releasing men being held for questioning.

The detainees were accused of links to June 15 terror strikes around Mpeketoni town, near the popular tourist destination of Lamu island, when 73 people died in three raids over eight days.

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More News On Today's Attacks In Kenya

Gunmen kill at least 29 in latest raids on Kenyan coast -- Reuters
Kenyan coastal region of Lamu hit by deadly attacks -- BBC
29 people killed in overnight attacks by terror group al-Shabab who raided village taking aim at residents and targeted police station -- Daily Mail
Kenya coastal raids kill dozens as political tensions rise -- The Guardian
At least 29 people killed in Kenya attacks -- Al Jazeera
Gunmen Kill at Least 22 in Attacks Near Kenya Coast -- VOA
Kenya: deadliest attacks since 2011 -- AFP

Muslim Youths Clash Against Police In Kenya's Second Largest City

Youths Riot In Kenya For Third Time Over Mosque Raid, One Dead -- Reuters

* Passerby stabbed to death by youths in Mombasa -witness
* Kenya cracking down on recruitment of Islamist militants
* Hit by attacks over pursuit of Somali al Shabaab rebels

MOMBASA, Kenya, Feb 5 (Reuters) - Muslim youths fought police in the Kenyan port of Mombasa and one person was killed on Wednesday, witnesses said, in a third day of violence over the killing of a man in a police raid on a mosque used by firebrand preachers.

Kenya is trying to break up militant recruitment networks among its Muslim community in efforts to end attacks by Somali Islamist militants and their sympathisers bent on punishing it for sending troops to Somalia to fight al Shabaab rebels.

The east African country, which has the region's largest economy, is still reeling from an al Shabaab attack on a luxury shopping mall in Nairobi in September which at least 67 people were killed.

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Update: Kenya goes on the offensive against Muslims -- Deutche Welle

My Comment: Here is an easy prediction .... the radicalization of Muslim youths in this part of Africa is only going to escalate.

Muslims Riot In Kenya's Second Largest City

Kenyan Port City Again Hit By Riots Over Mosque Raid -- Reuters

* Police to charge 129 as members of a 'terrorist group'
* Clashes started after police raid on a Mombasa mosque
* Police: Somali militants use mosque to radicalise youths

MOMBASA, Kenya, Feb 3 (Reuters) - Kenyan police fired tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse Muslim youths rioting for a second day on Monday in protest against a raid on a mosque used by firebrand preachers in the port city of Mombasa, a Reuters witness said.

The youths hurled rocks at the police and shouted "release our brothers," referring to more than 100 people arrested in the same run-down area of Majengo on Sunday. Riot police patrolled the deserted streets after the unrest subsided.

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More News On Muslim Riots In the Kenyan Port City Of Mombasa

Second day of clashes hit Kenya port city -- Al Jazeera
Kenyan police battle stone-throwing mobs linked to radicalising mosque -- The Telegraph
Three feared dead as Al-Shaabab militia engage officers in Mombasa shootout -- Standard Digital
At Least Two Die in Police Raid on Kenya Mosque -- Wall Street Journal
Police arrest radical youth Muslims at mosque; riots ensue -- UPI
Kenya terror charges after Mombasa police raid mosque -- BBC
Kenya charges 129 as Shebab members after mosque raid -- Global Post/AFP
History of the controversial Musa Mosque -- Standard Digital

Kenya Deploys Troops To Stop Bloody Sectarian Clashes

The Kenyan government deployed troops to northern Kenya on Friday to quell ethnic clashes. (Reuters)

Fresh Ethnic Violence Erupts in Northern Kenya -- Voice of America

Kenyan officials and relief workers say fresh clashes erupted between rival ethnic groups in the country's north on Saturday, a day after the government moved to deploy troops to the troubled region.

Officials say several people were killed on Saturday, in fighting near the town of Moyale.

They say clashes over the past week have killed dozens of people and forced over 1,000 civilians to flee across the border into Ethiopia.

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More News On Kenya Deploying Troops To Stop Bloody Sectarian Clashes

Ethnic clashes in Kenya leave dozens dead -- Al Jazeera
Dozens killed in Kenya fighting amid intervention efforts for Africa -- The Australian/AFP
More than 10 killed in militia battles in northern Kenya -- Reuters
Ethnic Clashes in Northern Kenya Leave Dozens Dead -- IBTimes
Sudan: Thousands of Kenyans Flee to Ethiopia After Tribal Fighting -- All Africa.com/Sudan Tribune
Violence continues in northern Kenya -- UPI
Kenya beefs up security in north amid heavy clashes -- Global Times/Xinhua

Westgate Mall Security Cameras Show Kenyan Soldiers Looting

Westgate Attack: Kenya CCTV 'Shows Soldiers Looting' -- BBC

Security camera footage has emerged which appears to show Kenyan security forces looting goods during last month's siege of the Westgate mall.

In the footage, some Kenyan soldiers can be seen carrying white shopping bags, while others appear to take white boxes from a mobile phone store.

At least 67 people died when suspected al-Shabab militants stormed the Nairobi shopping centre on 21 September.

The Kenyan military says it is investigating the looting allegations.

News agencies say the CCTV footage is taken inside the entrance to the Westgate mall's Nakumatt supermarket, which sells everything from food to televisions.

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More News On Reports That Kenyan Soldiers Looted The Westgate Mall After The Al Shaabab Attack

Kenya Mall Security Footage Appears to Show Soldiers Looting Shops -- Voice of America
Video suggesting soldiers looted attacked mall angers Kenyans -- BBC
Security video appears to show Kenyan soldiers looting mall -- Washington Post
Security video shows Kenyan soldiers looting mall -- Bloomberg Businessweek
Westgate attack: Kenya CCTV 'shows soldiers looting' -- The Nation (Kenya)
Kenya mall attack video shows soldiers looting shops during terror attacks -- New York Daily News
Month after Kenya Westgate Mall attack, looting allegations weigh heavy on mourners minds as more bodies found -- CBS/AP

It Appears That Foreign Fighters From The U.S., Canada, And Britain Are Involved In The Nairobi Mall Massacre

Were Americans Among The Al-Shabab Nairobi Mall Attackers? -- Daily Beast

Somalia’s al Qaeda affiliate says three Americans joined its assault on an upscale shopping mall in Nairobi that left at least 68 dead. Jamie Dettmer reports on whether they could be from the Twin Cities.

As the gunmen from Al-Shabab, armed with automatic weapons and rocket-propelled grenades, slaughtered shoppers and families in Nairobi’s Westgate mall, the group live-tweeted its satisfaction with the hostage taking and carnage: “Like it or loathe it! our mujahideen confirmed all executions were point blank range!”

The macabre social-media commentary continued via various Twitter accounts throughout the weekend, and as Kenyan soldiers assisted by Israeli special forces began to try to clear the huge complex and rescue dozens of hostages, an English-language Twitter account purporting to speak for Al-Shabab boasted of more attacks to come. It also claimed to identify 10 of the gunmen, including three Americans, all aged in their 20s, as having taken part in the operation.

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Update#1: Three of the terrorists responsible for mall attack in Kenya are from America -- Examiner
Update #2: This is worrisome .... Somali terror group has 20 American members, prone to strike outside Somalia -- NBC
Update #3: A Canadian involvement .... Canada investigating report 24-year-old Ontario man among militants in deadly Kenya mall siege -- National Post
Update #4: Is ‘White Widow’ Samantha Lewthwaite Behind Nairobi Westgate Mall Attack? -- Epoch Times
Update #5: Nairobi Westgate Mall Siege: 'The White Widow' and the Western Jihadists Fighting for Al-Shabaab -- IBTimes
Update #6: Nationalities of Kenya shopping mall gunmen unknown -- Washington Post
Update #7: Westerners said to be among Kenya attackers -- Times of Israel

My Comment: I suspect that alarm bells are now going off in Canada, Britain, the U.S., and elsewhere.

Massacre In Nairobi's Westgate Mall (Photo Gallery)

Image from Twitter

Nairobi's Westgate Mall Attack: Photo Galleries

Slideshow: Nairobi mall massacre -- Reuters
In pictures: Kenya shootout in Nairobi's Westgate mall -- BBC
Photos: Kenya mall attack -- CNN
Nairobi Westgate Mall Siege in Pictures [WARNING: GRAPHIC IMAGES] -- IBTimes
Photos: Nairobi mall siege -- Al Jazeera
Kenya Mall Attack (Photo Gallery) -- ABC news
Gunmen storm Nairobi mall (Photo Gallery) -- NBC
Al Qaeda-linked militants attack mall in Kenya (Photo Gallery) -- FOX News
In pictures: The final Assault to end Nairobi mall siege -- The Independent
Photos: Dozens killed in Nairobi, Kenya Mall attack -- Denver Post
Kenya: Graphic Images of Nairobi Westgate Mall Attack Emerge on Twitter -- RYOT
Updated Photos: Deadly terrorist attack at Nairobi mall (warning, graphic content) -- Vancouver Sun

Major Assault Launched To Free Hostages In Naroibi Shopping Centre (Updated)

Massacre mall is now ablaze after Islamic terrorists 'blow themselves up'. Fierce gunfire heard inside Kenyan shopping centre where militants were holding dozens of hostages -- Daily Mail

* Westgate Shopping Centre on fire amid fears that terrorists have carried out suicide bomb attack
* Architect Ross Langdon, who had dual Australian and British nationality, is confirmed among the dead
* His Harvard-educated girlfriend Elif Yavuz was also killed. She was two weeks away from giving birth
* Foreign Office confirmed on Monday that four Britons have been killed in the atrocity
* Kenyan government says two militants have died in battle to retake the building
* Claims that five of the attackers are American and two are British
* Kenyan military official says terrorists are a 'multinational collection from all over the world'
* Al Shabaab militants today said they would kill the remaining hostages inside the Westgate Shopping Centre
* Kenyan official reveals he suspects the involvement of fugitive 7/7 'white widow' Samantha Lewthwaite
* Men, women and children slaughtered if they could not recite Koran or name Prophet Mohammed's mother
* Terrorists told French citizen 'they want to kill Kenyans and Americans'

Kenyan special forces were today locked in a fight to the death with Islamic terrorists who have been barricaded inside a Nairobi mall with up to 40 hostages since Saturday.

Witnesses described hearing four large explosions at the Westgate Shopping Centre followed by the sight of thick plumes of smoke and the sounds of fierce gunfire after the military tried to break the three day siege by gaining access from the roof.

It is feared that some of the gunmen, who are from Al Qaeda affiliated group Al Shabaab, may have blown themselves up, though a Kenyan government minister said that militants had set fire to some mattresses in a supermarket as a decoy.

Interior Minister Joseph Ole Lenku said that two of the terrorists had been killed and that most hostages were now free. All of the militants were men, he added, although some were dressed as women. 'We think the operation will come to an end soon', he said. 'We are in control of all the floors, the terrorists are running and hiding in some stores... there is no room for escape'.

The Red Cross has put the death toll at 62 and four Britons have been confirmed dead. At least 175 were injured, including children.

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More News On Today's Terror Attack In Nairobi

Kenya stand-off: Latest updates: Live -- BBC
Nairobi: explosions and smoke seen coming from shopping mall -- The Telegraph
Kenya Westgate mall siege - live -- The Guardian
LIVE: Shabaab threatens to kill hostages in Nairobi mall -- France 24

4 blasts at Kenya mall, billowing smoke, 2 terrorists killed says official -- Washington post/AP
Three large explosions heard at Kenya mall where terrorists seized hostages -- NBC
Smoke pours from Kenya mall as forces 'close in' -- Reuters
More gunfire after Kenyan forces assault Nairobi's Westgate mall -- CNN
Nairobi Westgate attack: Assault begins to break siege -- BBC
Kenya Mall Attack: Smoke Billows After Explosion -- Wall Street Journal
Explosions, gunfire at Kenyan mall as armed attack enters 3rd day -- Washington Post
Explosions rock besieged Kenya mall; soldiers move in -- L.A. Times
Kenyan security forces storm Nairobi mall -- France 24
Explosions Rock Besieged Kenyan Mall as Authorities Rescue More Hostages -- ABC news
Kenya mall attack enters day 3 with gunfire, explosions as al-Shabab threatens to kill hostages -- CBS/AP
Kenya mall attack: Military says most hostages freed, death toll at 68 -- CNN
Kenyan forces say they rescued "most" hostages -- CBS/AP
Islamist gunmen hold hostages in Kenya siege after 68 killed -- Reuters
Kenya Mall Shooting: 'Major Assault' Frees Most Hostages, Police Say -- ABC news
Kenya mall siege: 'final assault' begins -- The Guardian
Kenyan troops launch 'major' assault on Nairobi mall -- France 24/AFP
Kenya Police Begin Assault to End Mall Seige After 68 Die -- Bloomberg Businessweek
Kenya mall attack: 'We shall hunt down perpetrators' - President Uhuru Kenyatta -- BBC
Source says US investigating deadly Kenya terror attack, as 'most' hostages freed -- FOX News
Shouts, screams... and then a sprint for their lives: Raw video footage shows full terror of moment Muslim terrorists struck at Nairobi mall -- Daily Mail
Horror, heroism during one of Kenya's darkest days -- FOX News/AFP
'If they found me, I'm white... so I'm dead': Survivors reveal how gunman executed non-Muslims - after asking them to name Prophet Mohammed's mother -- Daily Mail
Nairobi Westgate attack: Four Britons confirmed killed -- BBC
Victims of the Kenya mall attack -- FOX News/AP
Kenya mall attack: 2 Canadians among 59 dead -- CBC News
Australian killed in Nairobi mall attack -- The Australian
Two Indians among 39 killed in Kenya mall attack -- Times of India
French mother, daughter 'executed' at Nairobi mall -- France 24/AFP
Kenya says has good chance to 'neutralize' mall attackers -- Reuters
Somalia's al-Shabab claims Nairobi Westgate Kenya attack -- BBC
Al-Shabaab breaks new ground with complex Nairobi attack -- CNN
The Twitter terrorists: How killers boasted of Kenyan mall carnage with live commentary as they murdered dozens of people -- Daily Mail
Shabab Twitter account suspended after Kenya mall attack claims -- Hindustan/AFP
With Kenya mall attack unresolved, terrorists’ Twitter accounts are targeted -- McClatchy News
Why terrorists struck at upscale Kenyan mall -- Fredrick Nzwili, Christian Science Monitor
Al-Shabaab grew amid Somalia's lawlessness -- Tom Watkins, CNN
Al-Shabaab breaks new ground with complex Nairobi attack -- Paul Cruickshank and Tim Lister, CNN
10 things to know about Somali militants al-Shabab -- AP
In pictures: Gunmen rampage in Nairobi mall -- Al Jazeera
Photos: Kenya mall attack -- CNN
Kenya Mall Shooting: Timeline of Events -- ABC news
Nairobi attacks: How events unfolded -- BBC

Scores Killed And Wounded In Terror Attack At An Upscale Nairobi Shopping Mall

‘All Muslims Leave… We Only Want To Kill Non-Muslims’: Witness Reveals How Gunmen Who Massacred At Least 22 In Kenyan Shopping Mall Targeted Non-Islamics -- Daily Mail

* Security guards wheel out bodies in shopping trolleys from Westlands Shopping Centre
* Hostages are being held by at least five attackers still in building
* Upmarket mall is a favourite shopping spot for expats and wealthy Kenyans
* Police opened fire after gunmen launched attack at midday today
* Armed gang believed to have been terrorists, police say
* Kenya Red Cross says at least 22 dead though police not given exact toll
* Witness says attackers told shoppers non-Muslims were the targets
* Somali militant group al-Shabaab threatened to attack mall but no one yet claimed responsibility

At least 22 people are reported to be dead and more than 50 injured as a gun fight continues between police and armed men at a shopping centre in the Kenyan capital Nairobi.

One witness claimed gunmen told Muslims to stand up and leave and that only non-Muslims would be targeted when they opened fire at the upmarket mall of the Westlands district around midday today.

At least two dozen people, wounded and dead, were wheeled out on stretchers and in shopping trolleys by security guards, while others were seen walking out of the building, clutching bloodied clothing around their injuries.

Locals and tourists who were out shopping on the sunny Saturday in Kenya ran screaming from the building and cars were left abandoned as attackers threw grenades and fired AK47s.

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More News On Scores Killed And Wounded In A Terror Attack At A Nairobi Shopping Mall

Kenya Red Cross: 22 dead in upscale mall attack -- AP
Kenyan police in stand-off with gunmen at Nairobi mall -- AFP
At Least 20 Killed When Gunmen Ambush Nairobi Shopping Mall, Red Cross Says -- CNN
Shootout inside Nairobi's Westgate centre 'kills 20' -- BBC
Kenya mall shooting kills at least 15 -- CBC/AP
Gunmen Open Fire at Nairobi Mall -- New York Times
Gunmen storm Nairobi Mall, 15 killed-Red Cross -- Reuters
Gunmen attack crowded Kenya shopping mall -- NBC
Deadly gunbattle in Nairobi shopping mall -- Al Jazeera
Nairobi mall attack targeted non-Muslims -- Christian Science Monitor
In pictures: Kenya shootout in Nairobi mall -- BBC

WNU Editor: This is a continuing breaking news story .... we will be updating it later tonight.

Kenya's Newly Elected President Is Facing Accusations Of War Crimes

A man passes by posters of presidential candidates Uhuru Kenyatta and Prime Minister Raila Odinga in Nairobi, March 8, 2013. Voice of America

Uhuru Kenyatta Wins Kenyan Election By Slimmest Margin -- The Guardian

Deputy prime minister, accused of crimes against humanity, narrowly wins presidency amid concerns about ballot.

Kenya's election commission announced early Saturday that Deputy Prime Minister Uhuru Kenyatta had prevailed in the country's presidential elections by the slimmest of margins, winning 50.03% of the vote according to provisional figures.

Diplomats were worried they might have to weaken ties with the east African nation if Kenyatta is elected because he faces charges of crimes against humanity at the International Criminal court at The Hague. The result will almost certainly be challenged in the courts by his opponent, the prime minister Raila Odinga.

Read more ....

More News On Kenya's Presidential Election

Kenya election: Uhuru Kenyatta 'wins vote count' -- BBC
Kenya final vote total: Kenyatta has 50.03 pct -- Bloomberg Businessweek/AP
Kenyatta wins Kenya's presidential race, figures show -- Reuters
Kenyatta Provisionally Wins Kenyan Election Pending Final Audit -- Bloomberg Businessweek
Uhuru Kenyatta elected Kenyan president: commission figures -- AFP
Reports: Kenyatta has slim majority in Kenya presidential election -- CNN

My Comment: The opposition is not going to be happy with this incredibly close vote count.