Kampala — PRESIDENT Museveni yesterday handed three proposals, including a power sharing deal, to his Kenyan counterpart, President Mwai Kibaki and opposition leader, Raila Odinga, in his renewed push to quell a polls dispute that has left hundreds dead.
Mr Museveni's press secretary, Tamale Mirundi told Daily Monitor yesterday by telephone from Nairobi that the first proposal the Ugandan leader tabled was the creation of a judicial commission of inquiry to investigate "areas of contention as provided on both sides, especially on the claims of vote rigging."
He revealed that the two warring sides had in principal agreed to the proposal "but President Kibaki insisted that the Kenyan government should appoint members of the commission."
That position, Mr Mirundi said, was out-rightly rejected by the opposition, who said all parties should have a say in the appointment of members.
The last proposal Mr Museveni put forward was a power sharing deal, Mr Mirundi said, but the Kibaki government insisted that it cannot share power with "killers."
"The government said the opposition's hands are stained with blood; they have been involved in killing innocent civilians, a charge the opposition has also roundly denied," Mr Mirundi said. By yesterday evening, there were no clear signs that the current political crisis would be ending.
However, Mr Museveni extended his stay in Nairobi and made the consensual decision not to return home yesterday, because "there was some sort of breakthrough," Mr Mirundi revealed.
Although he did not go into specifics, he said that Mr Museveni had planned to return home yesterday, "in fact the President had checked out of his hotel and the presidential jet had been cleared at the airport."
Significantly, Mr Museveni later held a second meeting with President Kibaki, but attended by Prof. Anyang' Nyong'o, the opposition Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) secretary general, Mr Mirundi said.
That meeting brings the number of meetings Mr Museveni has held with Mr Kibaki, to three.
Mr Mirundi also revealed that President Museveni met former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan yesterday morning "for about ten minutes", along with former Tanzanian President Benjamin Mkapa and Graca Marchel, Mr Nelson Mandela's wife.
The trio are in the country in mediation efforts to end weeks of unrest over Kenya's December 27 disputed poll that has left hundreds of people dead.
It also emerged that Mr Annan and his team of international mediators yesterday had a busy day setting the groundwork for their efforts to end the post election crisis gripping Kenya.
Mr Annan first presided over efforts to set up a secretariat to coordinate his team's work in Nairobi before meeting the Speaker of the National Assembly, Mr Kenneth Marende.
On a day characterised by high stakes diplomacy, Mr Annan, in tow with President Museveni, met President Kibaki yesterday and was scheduled to meet ODM leader Raila Odinga later in the evening.
Daily Monitor also learnt that Mr Museveni was put on the spot at a meeting with Mr Odinga on Tuesday, over the alleged presence or involvement of Ugandan security operatives in Kenya.
But Mr Museveni reportedly denied the allegation and said he had intially not taken the claims seriously.
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For this magnitude of a national cris, one would have expected a co-ordinated effort at the mediation process in which President Museveni could have joined the team of Kofi Annan to present a unified mediation force. As it looks, President Museveni seems to constitute a mediation team of his own despite the fact that the AU backed by the UN and the EU sponsor the effort of Kofi Annan's team. Though it really does not matter how the successful mediation effort is reached and by whom as long as the goal of diffusing the crisis is achieved but caution seems to point to possible ultimate complication in the uncordinated mediation efforts where some recomendations for settlement may not be totally objective. I am sure all Africans, no matter where they reside, are wishing the Kofi Annan team every success to bring peace to kenya as soon as possible.
well,this calls for critical thinkers to hundle the very cruciam conversation and dialogue and museveni is not one. He has failed in Uganda
President museveni might be playing with the minds of us intelligent kenyans.so many suspicious activities have been tabled before him concerning his army's movements in kenya.why did he congratulate kibaki when he knew the votes were stolen?even if he didnt know,why didnt he withdraw the statement now that he had gotten a clear picture of events?why is his policemen or ARMY from uganda PRESENT in kenya? Some of the uniforms were seen by kenyan citizens being ferried across the boarder...Mr.museveni.pliz,dont bring in mischief in the discussions about flawed election in kenya.Everybody knows kibaki stole the elections.lets begin by asking him,were the elections stolen or not?Kibaki should not dictate as if kenya belongs to a sectuion of kikuyus only....thunder head oldman....Go home....in othaya...
What is important in any disagreement is the intergrity of the mediator and also how he's perceived. As for Museveni, am sorry he has failed the test of integrity and perception. At his backyard there are claims that he rigged himself back to power, thus making himself unpopular with the masses. He cannot convince his countrymen leave alone Kenyans that he has nothing to do with our current mess. Is't it worrying that he's linked with the death of Gaurang, the two presidents of Congo and Rwanda and his army has created enough chaos in Congo and Rwanda. So for us Kenya's we are better of telling Museveni off with his advise. Mr. presindent please work on your intergrity first.
This is a quote from Global Intergrity: (http://www.globalinegrity.org)
By Salim R. Biryetega In January 1986, as Ugandans prepared to swear in a new president, many believed they were about to enter a new era for the country, one in which abuse and misuse of public office would come to an end. "The problems of Africa, and Uganda in particular, are caused by leaders who overstay in power, which breeds impunity, corruption and promotes patronage," President Yoweri Museveni said in his inauguration address. Since the famous speech twenty years ago, some progress has been made. Key institutions such as the Inspectorate of Government were created, the Directorate of Public Prosecution was given autonomy, and government accountability and transparency laws were created, strengthened and expanded. And yet, corruption remains rampant in each and every sector of Uganda. The president, who has never lost a motion in parliament, gets what he wants at all costs. In 2005, members of parliament were openly bribed with US$2,800 each to change a clause in the 1995 constitution that limited a president to two terms. (Museveni had already been re-elected in 1996 and 2001.) The term limit was lifted by parliament, allowing the president who once decried "leaders who overstay in power" to win a third post-constitution term in February 2006. ....