Kenya Leader Seeks Return of Investors and Tourists

President Daniel Arap Moi appealed to investors and tourists Saturday to return to Kenya’s Indian Ocean coast but offered no explanation for the violence that broke out Aug. 13.

Moi promised to punish those responsible and accused Western nations and the international media of distorting the events that left at least 42 people dead, scores injured and extensive property damage.

Fears of further violence have prompted the cancellation of at least 500 tourist bookings.

“Kenya is safe for tourists and investors,” Moi told a rally in Msambweni, 30 miles south of Mombasa. “What we need are investors to invest in Kenya so that our people can be employed. We need many tourists to visit any part of Kenya.”

The opposition, civil rights activists and even some members of Moi’s own ruling Kenya African National Union party say the attacks near Mombasa targeted people from inland tribes who traditionally oppose Moi and his party.

The ruling party has disavowed any connection to the violence. On his first visit to the coast since the violence broke out, Moi did not explain the origin of the attacks.

More than 400 people, including two Kenya African National Union activists, are under arrest. Sixty-two people have been arraigned.

Moi is under pressure from opposition groups at home and donors abroad to organize free and fair elections later this year, enact legal and constitutional reforms and tackle corruption and mismanagement.

U.S. Ambassador Prudence Bushnell said Friday that without the legal reforms, the United States would not consider the election free and fair.

Moi, 73, has ruled Kenya since 1978 and is seeking a fifth, five-year term.

Reformers want the repeal of laws that they say favor Moi and his party, laws that restrict freedom of movement, assembly and speech and allow detention of people without trial.

The party has introduced legislation to repeal or amend some of the laws, but the reformers call the action cosmetic and have vowed to disrupt any poll held without reforms.