Nairobi slums tense as Kenya crisis brings hunger

By Nicolo Gnecchi

NAIROBI (Reuters) - Ten days ago, residents of Kenya's biggest slum Kibera joined long, snaking queues to cast their ballots in the east African country's presidential polls.

After an explosion of violence following opposition claims the outcome was rigged, they are now queuing hungrily for food.

"Is this what you call aid? We don't want your dirty water!" one man in an angry crowd shouted at police sitting on an armored car mounted with water cannons.

The security forces were back in Kibera, one of Africa's biggest shanty-towns with an estimated 800,000 residents, on the lookout for ethnic clashes that have convulsed Nairobi's tribally polarized slums.

But on Friday the focus was on food. Thousands of people gathered as two local Red Cross vehicles arrived to deliver aid -- but then left without offloading, overwhelmed by the numbers.

"We have come to get our food but now they are refusing us," said a furious David Majengo, pointing at the Red Cross staff as they departed. "All we have eaten for days is tear gas."

As the mood quickly soured, one local woman snatched a loaf of bread from a group of riot police watching the events unfold. Cheering children tried to copy her, and the officers finally tossed them more bread and milk before shooing them away.

"We are hungry and angry. We will soon begin to eat dogs," shouted resident Shelef Ndar, watching the scene in disgust.

Many shops in the area have been looted by protesters, leading to serious shortages of food in some slums.

The residents were also disappointed when opposition leader Raila Odinga, who had been rumored to be making a surprise appearance in Kibera, failed to appear.

Instead, several other senior opposition officials turned up to read prayers for peace, before leaving in their 4x4 cars.

Odinga's party had vowed to defy police for a second day on Friday and try to hold a banned rally in the centre of the capital. Their attempt on Thursday was repulsed by police.

The opposition says the election was stolen and wants Kibaki to step down. But most Kibera residents now had other concerns.

Armed police stayed in the area in large numbers while the crowd slowly thinned and dismayed residents set off for home.

"How can they bring colonialism back like this?" asked Philip Ohago, a 29-year-old wearing a tattered shirt.