Lucas Barasa
31 January 2008
Nairobi — President Kibaki has left the country for Ethiopia to attend the African Union Summit as the Kofi Annan-led talks finally kicked-off between Government and the Orange Democratic Movement.
President Mwai Kibaki shares a light moment with Vice-President. Kalonzo Musyoka shortly before departing for the Africa Union Summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia earlier today. Photo/ PPS
The plane carrying the Head of State left Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi at 7.30am.
Vice-President Kalonzo Musyoka and Internal Security minister George Saitoti were among Government officials who turned up at the airport to see him off.
Foreign Affairs Minister Moses Wetangula has been in Addis Ababa since last week.
Mr Musyoka said the Government was getting "encouraging" reports from the Summit.
"Some people (ODM) had tried to go and masquerade as government delegation," Mr Musyoka said.
Some Orange Democratic Movement leaders led by secretary general Anyang Nyong'o have been in Ethiopia in an effort to have the AU not recognise any delegation from Kenya until the current political crisis is resolved.
ODM wants the AU not to recognise Kibaki as Kenya's President insisting he did not win last year's presidential election.
Prof Nyong'o's group is however said to have been denied accreditation to attend the meeting.
Mr Musyoka said OM should recognise that Kenya had a President and that only the result of last year's presidential elections was in dispute.
The V-P said the Government will take firm action on perpetrators of violence saying they will be treated as criminals.
Mr Musyoka urged victims of violence not to revenge "as two wrongs do not make a right.
He said every Kenyan has a right to live and own property anywhere in the country.
Mr Musyoka and Prof Saitoti said the US had not officially communicated to the Government its warning that foreign countries may impose a solution on Kenya to end the post-election crisis if its leaders fail to reach a workable settlement.
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