KENYA: Nairobi residents sceptial of new cabinet announced by the president

Record ID: 361047

  • Title: KENYA: Nairobi residents sceptial of new cabinet announced by the president
  • Date: 9th January 2008
  • Summary: (BN06) NAIROBI, KENYA (JANUARY 9, 2008) (REUTERS) WIDE SHOT OF NAIROBI STREET WITH RESIDENTS GOING TO WORK MORE OF THE STREETS
  • Embargoed: 24th January 2008 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Kenya
  • Country: Kenya
  • Topics: Domestic Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA6UC56ITGWOO9HZ43H3K2CTDPS
  • Story Text: Kenyan President Mwai Kibaki on Wednesday (January 9) unveiled a cabinet that the opposition saw as an attempt to cement his election victory and reduce the scope for a national unity government, which he had offered earlier.
    Opposition presidential contender Raila Odinga's Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) said Kibaki's move was illegal.
    After a lull in clashes that erupted following President Mwai Kibaki's disputed re-election at December 27 polls, Kibaki named 17 ministers on Tuesday (January 8) -- prompting further protests.
    Kibaki retained several figures unpopular with the ODM in his cabinet.
    They include former hardline Internal Security Minister John Michuki, now heading the roads ministry.
    "It's not democratically correct as we were waiting for a re-run so that we could see the winner as the winner was Raila but it had to be Kibaki using force," said Nairobi resident Ali Musyula.
    Nearly 500 people have died in the violence and tribal clashes since an election that the opposition says was rigged and foreign monitors said fell short of democratic standards.
    AU head and Ghanaian President John Kufuor was meeting Kibaki in the morning, and then planned to speak to his rival, Raila Odinga, who says fraud cost him victory.
    On Tuesday the ODM rejected Kibaki's offer of bilateral talks, saying they would be a "sideshow" if not chaired by international mediators.
    In his offer, Kibaki did not invite Kufuor to attend any bilateral talks with the ODM.
    Nairobi resident Joseph Kilele said any talks would have a positive effect. "I think the move is very positive and I believe after they settle, they will be in a position to address may be the problem that was which may be, when people are together, when people are sharing, a problem is always a problem when it has not been discussed, so there will be a table of discussion and the problems that we had that season will be answers to arrive at."
    Much of Kenya's post-election turmoil has pitted ethnic Luo supporters of Odinga against Kikuyu members of Kibaki's tribe and the security forces but now the Kamba community is being targeted as the vice president comes from their tribe.
    Musyoka, a former foreign minister, came a distant third in the presidential election, behind Kibaki and Odinga.
    Despite huge international pressure, especially from Western powers, the two frontrunners have still not met face-to-face since trouble started when Kibaki was sworn in on December 30.
    Britain and the United States have pressed Kibaki and Odinga to negotiate a solution to one of the worst crises since Kenya's independence from Britain in 1963.
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