Martin Mutua And Maseme Machuka
15 January 2008
Nairobi — Former United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan is expected in the country on Wednesday to mediate talks between President Kibaki and ODM leader Mr Raila Odinga over the political crisis that has cost more than 500 lives.
But the expected talks - necessitated by the conduct of the presidential elections that have been described as seriously flawed - were thrown into doubt when senior Government members seemed to be talking at cross-purposes.
On Monday, the new Roads minister Mr John Michuki, a core member of Kibaki's Cabinet, stunned journalists when he stated that there was no crisis in the country and instead blamed the Press for "exaggeration" of the problem.
The minister added: "We have not invited Annan or any other eminent personality to come to broker a truce between the two groups. We are not an aggrieved party and it is not our responsibility to do the same. We won the elections".
He said the Government had neither invited African Union chairman John Kufuor, Archbishop Desmond Tutu nor four other former African presidents, Mr Benjamin Mkapa (Tanzania), Sir Ketumile Masire (Botswana), Dr Kenneth Kaunda (Zambia) and Mr Joaquim Chissano (Mozambique) to broker peace.
Michuki's statement ran counter to those of the Presidential Press Service, which have been restating the Government's commitment to dialogue.
Last Thursday, for instance, after the breakdown in talks spearheaded by Kufuor, the PPS put out a statement saying the Ghanaian President had left the country after discussions with President Kibaki and ODM leaders.
It went on: "The Government had offered dialogue which was to be facilitated by President Kufuor, but ODM leaders have not been responsive.
"However, the Government is still committed to dialogue and President Kufuor is to identify two eminent African Statesmen to facilitate dialogue". It is understood that the eminent statesmen are Annan and his team.
The statement ended thus: "President Kibaki thanks President Kufuor for his time, effort and commitment and reassures him that the Kenyan Government remains committed to dialogue for peace and reconciliation in the country".
Michuki's stand was consistent with his pronouncement the previous day when he ruled out any mediation talks and told the opposition Orange Democratic Movement to go to court.
The no-nonsense minister even threatened that the Government may cut diplomatic ties with any foreign power "fighting Kibaki".
"We are just turning a blind eye, but we can one day wake up and tell them to leave the country. The Government has not been defeated in maintaining order and we do not need any foreigners to tell us what to do," the minister said at Gakira Catholic Church in his Kangema constituency on Sunday.
Michuki's tune fell in line with what appears to be a well-choreographed tune in Government that goes thus: "Kibaki won the elections fairly; any aggrieved party should go to court".
Others who have adopted this line in the past include Justice minister Ms Martha Karua and Government Spokesman Dr Alfred Mutua, who went to the extent of saying Kufuor jetted in "to have tea" with his longtime friend, President Kibaki.
However, ODM has refused to recognise the results and maintains that they won the presidential election but their victory was stolen.
The Electoral Commission of Kenya, whose declaration of President Kibaki as the winner of the disputed elections sparked unprecedented chaos across the country, has itself admitted flaws in the tallying of the results. Its chairman, Mr Samuel Kivuitu, has said he does not know who won the elections.
Yet still, the European Union, the Commonwealth, domestic and even East African Community observers are agreed that the elections were seriously flawed, as does the Americans.
ODM and the observers have pointed at the difference between results announced at constituency level and the inflated final ones read by the commissioners at the ECK headquarters in Nairobi.
Diplomatic sources told The Standard that Annan would be flying overnight from New York and is expected in Nairobi Wednesday morning.
Former Tanzania President Mkapa and Mrs Graca Machel, the wife of former South African President Nelson Mandela, will join him.
The international community has thrown its support behind the mediation efforts, which were started by South African Nobel laureate Tutu, and carried on by African Union's Kufuor.
Indeed, both the EU and the United States have cautioned that it will not be business as usual until there is a political compromise that leads to a lasting solution "that reflects the will of the Kenyan people, wins their confidence and helps return Kenya to stability".
A diplomat who declined to be named, said the international community was concerned over fears of a recurrence of violence, and urged all the sides to condemn any such acts.
"We back the statement by the United States on the freedom of assembly and the assurance that the mass demonstrations will be peaceful," added the diplomat.
Since the protests broke out, the Government has taken a hardline stance and banned live television coverage in what it says is a move "to empower editors to be in charge of broadcast content". This move has drawn local and international condemnation.
The Government has also moved to outlaw all public rallies by ODM, which insists it won the presidential election but was robbed of victory.
However, many foreign and local leaders have condemned the violence that has claimed hundreds of lives and led to the displacement of about half a million others.
US Democratic candidate Senator Barrack Obama said both Raila and Kibaki should meet on a one-on-one to end the stalemate.
"I urged that all the leaders there, regardless of their position on the election, tell their supporters to stand down, to stop the violence and resolve it in a peaceful way in accordance with Kenyan law," Obama told the Chicago Tribune in an interview.
Last week, Obama taped a radio message to the Kenyan people urging for calm.
While taking his new office, Internal Security minister Prof George Saitoti reaffirmed the Government's stand on ODM's planned mass action tomorrow, saying it remained cancelled.
"Follow the channels laid down by law to agitate your grievances. The mass action rallies will not spare lives of Kenyans," Saitoti told journalists upon taking office from Michuki.
He said the Government was committed to ensuring peace and tranquility in the country to avert any more bloodshed.
Saitoti said he abhorred to see many children barred from going to school over the violence.
He repeated the Government's contention that there were no Ugandan soldiers in the country.
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If anyone can do this the Good Lord and Kofi Annan working together can. I hope the warring factions will see that the the 'Creator and Author of Life' and the former UN Secretary-General want this so much, as do all people of goodwill everywhere. We must pray for justice, peace and the way forward. Frances, Scotland.