Mathare

The Mathare Valley slum

Mathare is a collection of slums in Nairobi, Kenya with a population of approximately 500,000 people;[1] the population of Mathare Valley alone, the oldest of the slums that make up Mathare, is 180,000 people. Mathare is the home of football team Mathare United of the MYSA.[2]

Gang violence

In 2006, Mathare was damaged by violence between rival gangs the Taliban (not to be confused with the Islamist group of the same name), a Luo group, and the Mungiki, a Kikuyu group.[1] Brewers of an illegal alcoholic drink, chang'aa, asked the Taliban for help after the Mungiki tried to raise their taxes on the drink; since then, fighting between the two has led to the burning of hundreds of homes and at least 10 deaths.[1] Police entered the slum on November 7th 2006 and the General Service Unit arrived a day later. However, many residents who fled are still afraid to return.[1]

On June 5, 2007, the Mungiki murdered two police officers in Mathare; the same night, police retaliated by killing 22 people and detaining around 100.[3]

Following the controversial presidential elections that took place on December 27th 2007, gangs of Kikuyu and Luo youth engaged in violent fights and burned more than 100 homes.[4]

See also

Further reading

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Gettleman, Jeffrey (2006-11-10). "Chased by Gang Violence, Residents Flee Kenyan Slum". The New York Times. The New York Times Company. Retrieved 2006-11-10.
  2. ↑ "Mathare United". Mathare United Football Club. Retrieved 2006-11-11.
  3. ↑ "Police in Kenya Kill 22 in Gun Battles Over Sect". The New York Times. Associated Press, republished by The New York Times Company. 2007-06-07.
  4. ↑ Jeffrey Gettleman, "Disputed Vote Plunges Kenya Into Bloodshed", The New York Times, December 31, 2007.

External links

Coordinates: 1°15′36″S 36°51′43″E / 1.26000°S 36.86194°E / -1.26000; 36.86194

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