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Kenyan protests slowing

Machete-wielding young slum dwellers in Nairobi hurled stones at police who fired tear gas and gunshots on a second day of opposition protests yesterday. Across most of the edgy East African nation, though, demonstrations appeared to be losing steam.

Opposition leader Raila Odinga called for three days of demonstrations. Turnout has been low, though, and there were few of the serious clashes, some pitting members of the president's Kikuyu people against other ethnic groups, that characterized protests immediately after results from the disputed Dec. 27 election were announced.

"Our rallies will continue until the government sits down with us and seeks a solution," opposition spokesman Salim Lone said. ``Calling off rallies would be admitting defeat to those who first stole the presidential election and are now killing innocent protesters on sight.''

Speaking to reporters, government spokesman Alfred Mutua repeated Kenyan President Mwai Kibaki's position the opposition should take its grievances to court and said Kibaki's administration "is very open to dialogue."

Riots and ethnic killings in the wake of the disputed vote have marred Kenya's image as a stable democratic oasis in a war-ravaged region and damaged its tourist-dependent economy. It has also exacerbated simmering ethnic tensions and conflicts over land.

In Nairobi's Mathare slum, residents hid indoors and crouched on the floors of shops as young men ran past. Police fired tear gas down dirt alleyways and gunshots into the air.

One Red Cross medic said his ambulance picked up a 24-year-old with deep machete cuts to his head and neck and a fractured arm.

As he spoke, another man staggered down the road, bleeding profusely from the head and mouth.

``Help me,'' he begged before collapsing.
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