Nairobi — Africa Union chairman, President Jakaya Kikwete of Tanzania, and chief mediator Kofi Annan have today engaged rivals President Kibaki and Raila Odinga in a joint meeting in an effort to push final settlement of Kenya's political crisis.

The meeting started at 10am at Nairobi's Harambee House and was still on four hours later. There is no indication when the leaders talks would end.

The two sides have so far failed to agree on how to structure a coalition Government. President Kibaki maintains he is ready to appoint a Prime Minister and two deputies, but under the current Constitution.

The Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) insists any power sharing arrangement must be cemented through relevant Constitutional changes. They also want the PM to be named head of Government and the President to be head of State, and equal sharing of Cabinet positions, among others.

Also in the meeting is former Tanzanian President Benjamin Mkapa, who sits with Mr Annan in the Panel of Eminent African personalities who have been driving the mediation since January. The third panellist is former South African first lady Graca Machel.

Both President Kibaki and Mr Odinga arrived at the venue of the talks accompanied by some of their negotiators, but it is not yet clear whether they were allowed into today's meeting.

Those at the venue include the Government negotiating team that include Cabinet ministers Martha Karua (Justice), Moses Wetangula (Foreign Affairs), Prof Sam Ongeri (Education) and Mbooni MP Mutula Kilonzo. They were joined by Local Government minister Uhuru Kenyatta and Attorney General Amos Wako.

Mr Odinga arrived with his negotiators Musalia Mudavadi, James Orengo, Dr Sally Kosgei and Mvita MP Najib Balala.

President Kikwete arrived in Nairobi on Tuesday soon after Mr Annan suspended the mediation talks that had being going on at Nairobi's Serena Hotel. The decision came after the Government and the ODM negotiators failed to compromise on how to create a Prime Minister position, seen as key in the structure of power sharing arrangement.

The Tanzanian President initially planned to depart Nairobi yesterday but extended his visit by a day.

Local and international pressure is on President Mwai Kibaki and Mr Odinga to compromise on a power-sharing agreement.

Kenya was thrown into a political crisis after Kibaki was declared the winner of a disputed December 27 presidential election.

Violence that followed the announcement resulted in the death of more than 1,000 people and left over 350,000 others displaced.