Kenyan state 'sponsored violence'
BBC News, Nairobi
The BBC has learnt of allegations of state-sanctioned violence in Kenya during the recent post-poll crisis.
Sources allege that meetings were hosted at the official residence of the president between the banned Mungiki militia and senior government figures.
The aim was to hire them as a defence force in the Rift Valley to protect the president's Kikuyu community.
The government has declined to respond to the allegations which are likely to be investigated by a new commission.
There is growing anxiety that violence has been organised by both sides of the political divide.
The allegations come as parliament is due to open on Thursday preparing the way for a new coalition government.
Although parliament's focus will be on healing ethnic divisions and creating a coalition government - allegations of state involvement with a banned Kikuyu militia known as Mungiki will not go ignored.
Not least because of growing suspicion that some of the violence that led to 1,500 people being killed and hundreds of thousands displaced was orchestrated by both sides of the political divide.
The BBC has learnt that meetings were allegedly hosted at State House between senior government figures and the Mungiki, before and immediately after the elections.
One of the meetings was ahead of some of the most terrifying clashes in the town of Nakuru which saw non-Kikuyu homes being targeted by youths wielding machetes.
Sources inside the Mungiki say it was a renegade branch of the outfit that was involved in the violence not them.
Police sources have told the BBC that in the hours leading up to the clashes they had orders to allow minibus taxis packed with armed men, to be waved through police checkpoints without being searched.
The Kenyan government has declined to respond to the allegations which are likely to be among the themes investigated by a commission created to address the issue of post-election skirmishes.
Source: BBC
BBC News, Nairobi
The BBC has learnt of allegations of state-sanctioned violence in Kenya during the recent post-poll crisis.
Sources allege that meetings were hosted at the official residence of the president between the banned Mungiki militia and senior government figures.
The aim was to hire them as a defence force in the Rift Valley to protect the president's Kikuyu community.
The government has declined to respond to the allegations which are likely to be investigated by a new commission.
There is growing anxiety that violence has been organised by both sides of the political divide.
The allegations come as parliament is due to open on Thursday preparing the way for a new coalition government.
Although parliament's focus will be on healing ethnic divisions and creating a coalition government - allegations of state involvement with a banned Kikuyu militia known as Mungiki will not go ignored.
Not least because of growing suspicion that some of the violence that led to 1,500 people being killed and hundreds of thousands displaced was orchestrated by both sides of the political divide.
The BBC has learnt that meetings were allegedly hosted at State House between senior government figures and the Mungiki, before and immediately after the elections.
One of the meetings was ahead of some of the most terrifying clashes in the town of Nakuru which saw non-Kikuyu homes being targeted by youths wielding machetes.
Sources inside the Mungiki say it was a renegade branch of the outfit that was involved in the violence not them.
Police sources have told the BBC that in the hours leading up to the clashes they had orders to allow minibus taxis packed with armed men, to be waved through police checkpoints without being searched.
The Kenyan government has declined to respond to the allegations which are likely to be among the themes investigated by a commission created to address the issue of post-election skirmishes.
Source: BBC
