Kenya: Country Not Out of the Woods Yet - AllAfrica.com

Dennis OnyangoNairobi

Does President Kibaki desire to travel down in history as the leader who embraced alteration to salvage his Government and his bequest or is there more than to the new spirit of friendly relationship that have got taken root in the national politics?

That is the inquiry that remains begging in the visible light of events that have gone on this last week.

First, came a statement from the Head of Civil Service and Secretary to the Cabinet Mister Francis Muthaura that gave a controversial elucidation of the powerfulness sharing deal.

That was followed by confusion and terror at Prime Minister-designate Raila Odinga's home. Guards the Government stationed at the place were changed three modern times in hours.

As Head of the Civil Service, Muthaura is expected to take orders from the President. His statement that the powerfulness sharing trade did not include sharing of Civil Service places have got got got passed quietly without a remark from the Head of State.

While some have taken this to intend the President may have been secluded or sympathetic to Muthaura's claims, those familiar with the events that took topographic point just before the trade was signed paint a different picture.

There are a figure of politicians and civil retainers who were caught offguard by the President's understanding to subscribe the trade and may still be trying to act upon him against it.

Others, realising that the President moved on, are fighting personal conflicts for survival, using State structures.

A few hours before President Kibaki travelled down to the metropolis Centre to subscribe the understanding with Raila Odinga, some PNU leadership unsuccessfully tried to ran into him in State House, before he could come up to Harambee House.

The concern of the PNU grouping was that the President should not accept the place that the understanding must be constitutionalised, and be portion of the laws of Republic Of Kenya for the life of the coalition.

Just a few hours before the trade was signed, a acrimonious statement raged in the dialogue room over whether the understanding should be legislated.

Sources state main negotiant Dr Kofi Annan, Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete and ODM leader Raila Odinga insisted that the trade was nil if it were not legalised.

The PNU squad opposing that vehemently, forcing the negotiants to name in Ugenya military policeman Jesse James Orengo and Lawyer General Amos Wako to give their position.

"At that meeting, even Wako said it did not necessitate to be law," one beginning said, adding that the silver was however "cagey" on the issue apparently because he never knew where the President stood on the matter.

Those opposed to the legalization of the trade cited Federal Republic Of Germany and the United Kingdom where alliances have been formed on the footing of understandings between political parties without the championship of the constitution.

Hardliner denied access

When the peace bundle was finalised, the PNU squad was certain the President would not hold that it be made law.

In State House, however, the President agreed that the understanding is set into law, but the PNU squads in the negotiation and Civil Service were unaware.

"They tried to see the President when they got wind that he might be sign language the deal. They wanted to state him not to accept that the understanding be set into law. But they were denied appointment," a source, who moved between State House and Serena Hotel, the locale of the negotiation on that day, said.

With clip ticking before the President could subscribe the trade at OP, oppositions of the understanding regrouped and agreed to direct Vice-President, Mr Kalonzo Musyoka, to appeal to the President not to hold to legalise the agreement.

The VP was not lucky either. State House told him the President was leaving for OP to subscribe the agreement.

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"I believe the President should be given a portion on the back. Had he agreed to ran into the hardliners that day, it would have got been a very different narrative today," the beginning said.

The grouping that tested to halt the sign language of the deal, beginnings say, is not sitting idle. Its members are said to be hassling the President over the matter, even though Kibaki have so far stood his ground. The grouping is suspected to be the military unit behind Muthaura's statement.

"The insisting by the President that Raila be given protection even before the trade took off was largely his manner of telling the grouping that the trade is done and Republic Of Kenya is larger than vested interests," the beginning said.

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