_WORLD WATCH______________________________
____________________ Kenya ________________

Churches, mosques torched
Rent riots take on religious overtones
Swelling violence in Kibera, a slum in the city of Nairobi, may spread to other areas if it is not checked, religious leaders in Kenya have warned. About 500,000 people, who live in the slum—one of the largest in Africa—have already been affected.

The violence began with clashes between tenants and landlords, after President Daniel arap Moi ordered reduction in rents. But when looting and arson spread through Kibera, the religious tensions that already trouble the slum became evident. Groups of young people set fires at several houses of worship and mosques. When religious leaders united in a call for peace, the young gangs responded with more direct assaults on church buildings. By early December, at least 10 people had been killed, according to government reports; some local observers said the death toll was much higher.

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