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Kenya: Leaders Call for Patience Over Cabinet
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The Nation (Nairobi)
28 March 2008
Posted to the web 28 March 2008
Odhiambo Orlale
Nairobi
Kenyans should be patient and give President Kibaki and ODM leader Raila Odinga enough time to form a Cabinet, MPs said Thursday.
There was no need to invite former UN secretary general Kofi Annan to mediate once again on the power sharing accord, they said during an induction meeting at a Nairobi hotel.
Mr Annan brokered the historic deal signed by President Kibaki and Mr Odinga over a month ago after the worst political crisis in the country over disputed presidential election results.
Grand coalition
Vice-President Kalonzo Musyoka asked the more than 200 MPs to hold their horses and allow President Kibaki and Mr Odinga to come up with a grand coalition Cabinet that would serve all Kenyans.
"Please let us not discourage President Kibaki and the PM-designate because I believe that they will soon come up with a Cabinet. I also plead with MPs and the media to give them support," he told MPs.
Kitui Central MP Charity Ngilu said the Cabinet issue would be sorted out soon by the two principals.
"We should not put pressure on them to urgently name a Cabinet, neither should we invite Mr Annan to come and mediate. We need him to join in the celebrations," she said.
It has been reported that the two leaders had contacted Mr Annan over the sharing of Cabinet positions.
The Narc leader said Kenyans were only yearning for a Cabinet that can stand the test of time.
Nominated MP George Nyamweya also asked the country to be patient, saying the two leaders were harmonising party manifestoes before naming Cabinet.
Mr Nyamweya said the Cabinet would have a herculean task of implementing constitutional and legal reforms captured in the deal.
That is why, according to Mr Nyamweya, ministers will be carefully picked.
"Once we have the necessary reforms in place, it would no longer matter who is in the Cabinet any more. Once the Cabinet is named, we would also not want to hear of PNU and ODM members. They will be there as ministers."
Tigania East MP Peter Munya and his Mukuruwe-ini counterpart Kabando wa Kabando reminded their colleagues lobbying for Cabinet seats that the recently passed National Accord Act gave the President and Mr Odinga an open cheque to decide when to implement the power sharing aspect.
"But I appeal to them not to cave in to pressure and come up with the best Cabinet because all Kenyans are anxious to see the Government get down to business after the election," said Mr Munya.
But Mr Kabando took issue with some of the parties in the grand coalition for leaking confidential letters to the media, saying the act was not in good faith.
Mr Frederick Outa asked the leaders to come up with a team that reflected the face of Kenya.
The Nyando MP said the Cabinet should comprise people of integrity and embrace youths and women.
Keiyo South MP Jackson Kiptanui supported calls for a lean Cabinet as proposed by the civil society and the National Council of Churches of Kenya.
Party manifestoes
Adding his voice to the matter, Ol Kalou MP Erastus Mureithi said he would back a Cabinet keen to address the problems facing the youth and ruralfolk.
"But I am opposed to calls for the principals to rush the naming of the Cabinet."
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Ms Cecily Mbarire of Runyenjes cautioned that Kenyans would not want to see a repeat of the infighting that characterised the Narc coalition.
"The two principals must sit together and ask themselves what the nation needs before coming up with a Cabinet. We would also like to see new and young faces in the Cabinet who will breathe fresh air into government operations."
Her colleague from Eldoret South, Ms Peres Simam, asked the two leaders to ensure more women were appointed to the Cabinet as they had pledged in party manifestoes.
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