Unity Cabinet named ending a political deadlock in Kenya

The political deadlock in Kenya, brought about by conflicting ideas about how its coalition cabinet, scheduled to be formed under the terms of an agreement signed six weeks ago by President Kibaki and opposition leader Raila Odinga, should be constituted, was brought to an end yesterday with the announcement, by the President, of a cabinet encompassing Members of Parliament from both sides of the political divide. Raila Odinga was named Prime Minister and his party, the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) managed to acquire some key ministries. Nevertheless, the portfolio balance in the cabinet ODM was demanding was not attained. The cabinet does, however, have ODM’s full consent and in an ODM official’s own words “there had been concessions [made by] both sides” to end the deadlock. Compromises were made to pull the country from under an ominous shadow of political, social and economic disaster that had been hanging over the nation for the past three months.

We hope and pray this settlement holds and that it would be just but the beginning of an era of goodwill among the political class –the environment this country needs to heal and move forward from past injustices and the social and political culture which helped precipitate the violence and hatred which followed the announcing of the results of December 2007 Presidential election.


http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7345617.stm

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/14/world/africa/14kenya.html?_r=1&ref=africa&oref=slogin