Kenya policeman denies murdering 2 protesters

NAIROBI (Reuters) - A Kenyan policeman caught on camera apparently shooting two protesters in a western town pleaded not guilty to murder on Friday.

Constable Edward Kirui is accused of killing George William Onyango and Ishmael Chacha during political demonstrations on January 16 in Kisumu, an opposition stronghold.

"I am not guilty," Kirui told Judge Muga Apondi as the two murder charges were read to him at a Nairobi court.

A police investigation identified Kirui from TV footage of a policeman firing his assault rifle at the two youths, who were in a group that taunted and earlier threw rocks at officers.

After he fired, the footage showed the officer walking to the men and kicking one of them as he tried to stand up.

The images drew condemnation from the opposition and human rights groups, which said the incident was an example of police brutality employed to quell the protests.

The prosecution said it would call 30 witnesses.

More than 1,000 people have been killed following ethnic clashes that began as protests against the re-election of President Mwai Kibaki on December 27. The violence worsened into politically tinged ethnic killings.

(For special coverage from Reuters on Kenya's crisis see: here)

(Reporting by Robert Hummy, Writing by Helen Nyambura-Mwaura; editing by Robert Woodward)