Kenyan Elections Provoke Different Kind of Protest
Upcoming historic general elections in Kenya brought thousands of demonstrators onto the streets of Mombasa on Saturday--polling officials demanding back pay.
Some 2,500 people recruited for the first multi-party polls in 26 years marched through the Indian Ocean town claiming they had not been paid since being hired 25 days ago.
They have been undergoing training for presidential and parliamentary elections Tuesday that will end the one-party politics that has dominated Kenya for a quarter of a century.
A spokeswoman for the Electoral Commission acknowledged they had not been paid but said it was only because the banks had been shut for Christmas. “They’ll be paid on Monday,” said Sultan Fadhil.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
