In edgy Kenyan slum, a rumour ends in fires and a death

Anti-riot police attempt to disperse protesters in Kawangware slums in Nairobi, Kenya October 28, 2017. REUTERS/Thomas Mukoya

NAIROBI (Reuters) - It all started with a rumour: the Mungiki, a dreaded Kikuyu tribal militia, had infiltrated Nairobi's Kawangware slum. Within minutes, local men already fired up by Kenya's divisive election had grabbed machetes and sticks to defend their turf.

By the end of Friday night's confrontation, a man had been beaten to death and rows of shops and homes set alight, a worrying taste of how quickly ethnic violence can erupt in the Kenyan capital's volatile slums.