Kenya - Kibera youths damage track again

[John Ashworth]

Following riots in Kibera yesterday protesting the delay in setting up a cabinet, Kenya's Daily Nation mentions in two stories today (9th April 2008):

Tension was still high in the afternoon. Later, the youth destroyed part of the railway line passing through the slum.

The youths destroyed a section of the railway line linking Nairobi to western Kenya.

[John Ashworth]

On the TV news last night (9th April 2008) they showed a whole track panel which had been lifted and turned over in Kibera. They also showed the paramilitary General Service Unit (GSU) marching in to restore order and ensure that the railway line stays open.

[John Ashworth]

And in this morning's Daily Nation (Thursday 10th April 2008) the front page picture shows several track panels ripped up and overturned. The lead story includes:

...rioting youths uprooted a section of the railway line from Nairobi to western Kenya in the Kibera slums.

The railway was first destroyed on Tuesday but the mob returned yesterday to do more damage.

[Kevin Wilson-Smith]

When they had the riots earlier on in the year I saw this on TV. It was quite impressive (and had I not seen it I would have disputed it!) - a great crowd of people swarmed onto the railway line and around 15-20 seconds later up came a section of line into the air. Still attached. I did not understand how they did this, but did they did!