Orange Democratic Movement leader Raila Odinga has ruled out taking a new post of prime minister in President Kibaki's Government as a solution to the post-election crisis.
At the same time, Kenya's fourth most important town, Nakuru, has witnessed escalating violence since 1am with houses being torched and roads barricaded by rival gangs.
In an interview with Reuters, Mr Odinga said the only three acceptable options would be Kibaki's resignation, a vote re-run, or power-sharing leading to constitutional reform then a new election.
"I never said I was considering taking up a position of prime minister under Kibaki," Odinga told Reuters in an interview.
Some media and diplomats have suggested that could be a way out of the impasse in the aftermath of Kenya's December 27 vote. Conflict triggered by a dispute over the results has killed more than 700 people, displaced 250,000 and jeopardised one of Africa's brightest economies.
The ODM leader met Kibaki for the first time in the crisis - thanks to the mediation of former UN boss Kofi Annan – on Thursday.
But Odinga said he was offended by Kibaki's comments afterwards that he was Kenya's "duly-elected" president.
"Those remarks were unfortunate, calling himself duly-elected and sworn-in president. That is the bone of contention. We want negotiations with integrity," he said.
Asked if he would, however, meet Kibaki again, Odinga replied: "Yes, sure. But I would ask him to desist from making those kind of embarrassing remarks, which will definitely undermine the process of mediation."
In his first comments on the contents of the closed-door meeting, the ODM leader said it was a constructive step.
"In the meeting, we held useful discussions. We were able to give as much as we took," he said.
"The issue of post-election violence was discussed. We also expressed concerns, not just about the communal violence, but about the excessive use of force by the police."
The government accuses opposition leaders of stirring up violence against Kibaki's Kikuyu ethnic group, while the ODM says police have been killing innocent protesters.
Each side has accused the other of genocide.
Odinga, who called off street protests when Annan arrived on Wednesday, said mass action was still a possibility.
"It is an option that will be looked at among other peaceful protests, like boycotts, strikes and so on. There's a whole package that is considered," he said in the telephone interview.
In Nakuru, Kenya Army soldiers have been called out to beef up security in Nakuru town after rival militia blocked key roads and destroyed property in fresh escalation of violence.
Screaming and wailing rent the air at Kisima and Kaptembwa Estates in the western part of Nakuru Town all night on Thursday as armed gangs torched houses.
The houses were still burning when residents of other parts of the town reported for work only to be greeted by smoke and violence.
A Nation reporter in the town reported seeing two trucks and three landrovers full of Kenya Army soldiers being deployed in the trouble-spots around the town.
A few traders who had opened their business premises closed down as a result of a stampede started from the Nakuru Bus Station where a man was stoned.
The police fired shots in the air, forcing people to flee in all directions, some opting to walk back to their residential estates.
Some bus drivers removed their vehicles from the bus station and parked them at the railway station, a few hundred metres away.
Motorists also removed their vehicles from parking bays and there were hardly any vehicles in the streets by 10 am.
Hundreds of hawkers who sell their wares in shop corridors within the town centre had also melted away.
Some residents of Lanet and Free Area in the eastern part of the town returned home after they heard that some young men had barricaded a section of the Nakuru-Nairobi highway.
A resident of Kwa Ndege area in Lanet who spoke to the Nation on the phone said he opted to stay at home for fear of running into trouble. About nine houses have been burnt in the area during the last two days.
Policemen guarded banks whose doors remained open but few people were seen entering the banks or the ATM enclosures after the stampede.
- Michael Njuguna and Reuters
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i dont think mr. Odinga want NOT really peace. for the save of kenyans he should be accept any solution as well mr kibaki but to condition to reelction, recount ,resign or other will work kenya is going to civil war if the extremist both side ar enot obliged to be quite and leave ANNAN kIBAKI AND ODINGA only to have a talk. I THINK WE ARE GOING TO HAVE REALLY HARD TIME LIKE SOMALIA AND RWAND I PRAY NOTHING LIKE THAT HAPPEN. I KNOW WHAT I SAY I WAS IN SOMALIA 93 AND 94 AND THE GREEDY LEADERS OF ALL TRIBE STILL ARE DOING THE SAME
Fellow Africans,
My plea is simple and clear: THERE IS NO FUTURE IN VIOLENCE.
Why won't they all come to their senses?
It does not matter HOW MUCH YOU DANCE AROUND RAILA ODINGA'S VIOLENT NATURE, HE WILL NOT STOP KILLING.
RAILA HAD ALREADY THREATENED THAT IF HE DOES NOT WIN, HE WOULD CAUSE GENOCIDE. RAILA ODINGA IS CARRYING OUT HIS THREAT, AND THIS IS NOT THE FIRST TIME THAT RAILA HAS CARRIED OUT ASSAULT ON THE GOVERNMENT OF KENYA. IN 1982, RAILA CAUSED A COUP THAT FINALLY FAILED, BUT SEVERAL PEOPLE WERE KILLED. RAILA IS USING FORCE TO DISRUPT THE STABLE GOVERNMENT OF KENYA, BUT HIS CONCERNS ARE JUST HIS DEADLY SELFISHNESS.
My comment is in regard to the stories you have been reporting about
RAILA ODINGA IS NOT A PEACEFUL INDIVIDUAL. RAILA ODINGA IS JUST HUNGRY FOR BLOOD, THEREFORE, RAILA IS NOT GOING TO STOP HIS DANCE OF DEATH
BY KARARA MUHORO, American citizen
You must be one of the Kikuyus who are causing a lot of blood shed in Kenya.Every one who is objective the world over knows that Raila won the elections and this is supported by The European poll observers,The East African community,Kenya law society and all the world leaders who have not acknowledged Kibaki as elected president of kenya.In britain MPS have come out clearly to say HM Government does not recognise Kibakis government.
Blind support for Kibakis illegitemate government by poeple like you is what is tearing Kenya apart.
The people responsible for the bloodshed of poor innocent Kikuyus,luos and all other kenyans who have died in the last four weeks are Kibaki and blind supporters like you.
You surely know deep inside who won the elections.
If you cannot see how you have been duped by Raila, then Kenya is in for a sad future. Raila has worked for a number of years now to generate support for his ambitions by promising the impossible to anyone who is naive enough to believ his promises. None of his promises can be delivered without bankrupting the country and turning it into another Zimbabwe, Zaire or Angola. There is no doubt that rigging went on on both sides, and that is why few democratic countries have blamed Kibaki - instead they are unable to determine who rigged and to what extent either deserves to be the winner. That is why they have encouraged 'dialogue and negotiation'. It seems to me that kenya is actually lucky that It has the institution of a government in place (no doubt Kibaki realized this had to happen to prevent utter chaos) even though its creditals are somewhat doubtful. Raila has shown he is no statesman, and his followers are unfit to rule this beautiful country, by orchetrating violence and refusing to compromise - on very doubtful moral grounds. It won't be too long before people see through him and recognize him for the danger he is.
Our hope must be that somehow good sense will prevail and that ordinary kenyans of all tribes and alliances will bring him to his senses and force him to stop the slide into terror that his approach will surely bring if poursued. Kibaki is no angel, but he has a better chance of bring the country back into sanity with Raila somehow alongside than either of them can do alone. They need each other, and we need them to stop the games and sort themselves out - otherwise the future is very bleak.
Baobab
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