Tom Mosoba
2 March 2008
Dar es Salaam — INSIDE details of how the Kenyan political deal was finally clinched on Thursday can be revealed. And it emerged that the Tanzanian model of government, where the President and his prime minister amicably share state responsibilities, won over the hearts of the hardliners.
A confidential source familiar with the shuttle diplomacy that led to the signing of the power-sharing agreement between President Mwai Kibaki and his rival Raila Odinga said only after the Tanzanian example was fully explained did the government side agree to a deal.
President Jakaya Kikwete, the current chairman of the African Union, was on hand to do the explaining and cajoling, helping the Kofi Annan effort.
"Mr Kibaki was adamant on [not giving] power to his rival but Mr Kikwete embarked on a long lecture and thoroughly explained to him the Tanzanian model while giving his own experience," said our source.
"It is not an easy job being in power. It is not a luxurious experience to shoulder the burden alone," President Kikwete was reported to have told President Kibaki, in an effort to convince the Kenyan leader to nod to the creation of an office of prime minister as his principal assistant in government.
This was during the Wednesday private meeting between Presidents Kikwete and Kibaki without any of the government negotiators who were not invited.
Said the source: "This actually appeared the turning point and Mr Kibaki only made one request. He asked Mr Kikwete to make sure that the prime minister's office was not immediately entrenched in the constitution.
"Mr Kibaki appeared to have understood Mr Kikwete and actually from then on it was like a big step had been taken towards drawing the final document."
Only after this ice-breaking did Mr Kikwete agree to have Vice-President Kalonzo Musyoka and the government negotiators, namely, Martha Karua, Sam Ongeri and Mutula Kilonzo.
Earlier on, President Kikwete held talks with Mr Odinga, the head of the opposition Orange Democratic Movement (ODM), and his team of negotiators at Grand Regency Hotel. Present were Musalia Mudavadi, William Ruto, Sally Kosgei and James Orengo.
Mr Odinga's team, it has been said, pleaded with Mr Kikwete to force a deal through as they feared worse and uncontrollable violence could break out if his intervention was not fruitful.
"The ODM team reported that the government was arming the dreaded Mungiki militia to cause mayhem across the country," the source said.
Members of the government team had also their own worries and immediately sought President Kikwete's intervention as soon as he arrived on Tuesday.
Mr Wetangula almost begged the Tanzanian leader at the airport to have former UN chief Kofi Annan rescind his earlier decision to suspend the talks and deal directly with Mr Kibaki and Mr Odinga, who accuses Mr Kibaki of stealing the presidency from him in the December 2007 elections.
Mr Annan called off consultations with the two negotiating teams after Constitutional Affairs Minister Martha Karua, from the government side, accused Mr Annan and former Tanzanian President Benjamin Mkapa of incompetence when they argued the case for an executive prime minister.
Mr Mkapa and former South African First Lady Graca Machel are helping Mr Annan. Mr Wetangula reported that the suspension had caught the government off-guard and was not good for its image. "The minister told Mr Kikwete to convince Mr Annan to rescind his decision and resume negotiations."
Mr Kikwete confirmed that development upon his return to Dar es Salaam on Thursday. "On arrival at the Jomo Kenyatta Airport, this minister [Wetangula] came announcing that things had taken a different twist with Annan calling off the talks."
Mr Kikwete said from then on he knew the talks were taking an unfortunate turn than he had anticipated. "Mr Annan had, of course, called and wanted me to join him," President Kikwete said. "He said things were not comfortable but he abruptly ended the talks."
The Tanzanian leader said the major problem was how to create the prime minister's office and powers he should enjoy in government and whether these powers should be entrenched in the constitution.
Mr Kikwete said they embarked on the delicate mission to assure the two teams that it was possible to have both the President and prime minister working harmoniously.
"It is really like our case here with Mizengo Pinda [the Tanzanian prime minister]," he said. "The office-bearer here has the power to oversee, control, and supervise day-to-day functions of the government."
In the negotiated deal, the new look Kenyan government would have the President, vice president, prime minister and two deputy prime ministers and then the ministers.
Mr Kikwete said the only difference between Tanzanian and Kenyan prime ministers' roles is that the former has the word "control" added while in Kenya they chose to only have one who would "co-ordinate and supervise" the functions and execution of government affairs.
He said he would be shocked if any of the Kenyan leaders reneged on any part of the agreement.
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