Posted by Jennie Duck. Returning to Nairobi, you get a different feel for the conflict that is portrayed in the UK media. I arrived this morning to heavy downpours and quiet roads.

I got a good welcome and people said they were pleased I had returned and not run away like many others were perceived to have done. Kenyans are aware of how their country is being portrayed and feel this view is unfair because most people have not been affected by the unrest.
People are trying to carry on with their normal lives, this was especially apparent when I hit a big traffic jam near later in the day. At this point, some demonstrations were causing disruption as people left the centre, where much of the trouble was expected.

People are relying heavily on police whose presence is very much in evidence. I think they are largely using tear gas and water cannon to quell protests, and although they have used live ammunition, which has added to the tension, people largely believe that without the police, the situation would be more precarious. This is significant because under President Moi, the police were aggressors, but are now seen as protectors.

A few comments I heard today:
‘It’s calm but it’s not peaceful’ - a comment that rang true this afternoon as everyone going about their normal business took fright at an outbreak of violence in the city centre; kids were sent home from school early and people hastily headed home.

‘Why are they calling for people to spend 3 working days demonstrating? Why not at least at a weekend?’ – possibly because the opposition knows the people willing to protest are people with nothing to do, including many opportunist petty criminals who see rallies as a chance to loot.

And a couple of adverts on the popular nationwide Capital radio station:
An appeal to everyone – local and international media, the opposition parties; EU officials; US ambassadors; demonstrators; NGOs – to provide evidence the election was rigged. The advert claimed a re-count had taken place, showing Kibaki had won and that anyone who disputed this could take it to the courts. It also said there was no evidence the vote count was unfair.

An advert read by a child speaking to the politicians, asking them to stop calling for mass action because this would cause more deaths, road closures, disruptions to schooling, hurt the economy and keep tourists away.

There was also a funny cartoon in today’s paper showing a waving Ghanian president John Kufuor wishing Kofi Annan “good luck” as Nairobi city centre burned in the background.