Ahmedabad, January 2
The Gujarat Pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC) has expressed serious concern over the safety of Gujaratis and other Indians settled in Kenya which is hit by a severe post-poll violence. GPCC chief Bharatsinh Solanki on Wednesday sent a letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh urging him to take steps to ensure safety of life and property of Gujaratis settled there. According to reports reaching here through relatives of those settled in different towns of Kenya, a large number of Gujarati businessmen have taken shelter in temples and other religious places, leaving behind their houses and business establishments unprotected. Reports say that a large number of houses and shops belonging to Gujaratis had been looted and set afire by mobs, with security personnel failing to deal effectively with rioters. The total number of Gujaratis settled in Kenya are reported to be over one lakh. However, most of them are concentrated in Kenyan capital of Nairobi and commercial town of Kisumu. The violence erupted in this African country after the presidential candidate Raila Odinga levelled allegations of rigging of elections by his rival Mwai Kibaki who got re-elected as president.
