pre-election kisumu: part one of four

i was going through joseph karoki's picture blog today and couldn't help notice the pain, suffering and despair documented in most of the pictures. i decided to go through pictures i have taken in the recent past to see if i could find anything that captured life for the common mwananchi (citizen) before the 2007 elections.

this is the first of a four part series that chronicles life in kisumu before the 2007 elections. pictures were taken at random and are presented in no particular order. if you have pictures you'd like to share, contact me at: the dot wocha at gmail dot com. please include a caption with each image. you can also post a link to pictures in the comment section.

help is urgently needed. to help with the current devastation in kenya, please donate to sukuma kenya, mama mikes or the kenyan red cross. if you are in kenya, volunteer within your community and help the less fortunate. for a list of kenyan bloggers covering kenya's 2007 elections and its aftermath, check white african.

caption: vegetable vendors at jubilee market popularly known as chiro mbero




caption: buying onions from my auntie. my family has been her customer for over 20 years




caption: street kids going through trash looking for recyclable plastic bottles at the municipal fish market




caption: street kids playing poker at a stall behind the municipal fish market




caption: boda boda owners waiting for clients at the municipal fish market




caption: billboard at the entrance of the jomo kenyatta grounds which has been reinovated considerably




caption: fruit vendor at oile market. oile market is an open air market in front of jubilee market




caption: fruit vendor at oile market




caption: kisumu municipal market's main entrance




caption: pottery vendor's stall in front for jubilee market




caption: central bank of kenya




caption: western union billboard




caption: midday traffic with imperial hotel in the background




caption: mobile phone vendor, literally. driving around in a van means increased customers and lower permit fees.




caption: "vote for your orange. we all refute the draft". message reminding kisumu residents to vote against the draft constitution in december 2005. orange refers to raila's orange democratic movement (odm)




caption: taxi and boda bodas waiting for clients at alpha house




caption: format supermarket




caption: midday traffic with kenya commercial bank (kcb) in the background




caption: kenya national assurance house before it was bought by maseno university




caption: private residence in milimani, close to state house kisumu




caption: kisumu molasses plant in operation under spectre international ltd, a [raila] odinga family business




caption: kisumu molasses plant




caption: view from otonglo on kisumu busia road. grain silos and government's incomplete provincial building in background




caption: view from otonglo




caption: otonglo kiosk owner heading home after buying supplies in town




caption: tuk tuk driver adding fuel at a petrol station in jua kali [industrial area].




caption: vendor selling refreshments and snacks at the kisumu bus park




caption: cyclist and pedestrian in front of uchumi hyper




caption: stalled ugandan oil tanker unable to make it up a steep hill on the kisumu busia road




caption: kisumu molasses plant




caption: mobile phone vendor attending to clients at the bank square




caption: crown paints' direction and distance pole at the bank square - between barclays bank and bank of baroda




caption: east african building society (eabs) building



caption: shoe vendor along kisumu kakamega road




caption: boda boda owner negotiating fare