Kenya’s Prime Minister Raila Odinga wants crisis mediator Kofi Annan to step in and resolve a growing row between the coalition government’s two main parties over corruption allegations, a deputy prime minister said on Monday.
The rift emerged when Odinga suspended Agriculture Minister William Ruto and Education Minister Sam Ongeri on Sunday for three months to allow independent investigations into corruption allegations in their ministries.
Hours later, President Mwai Kibaki overturned the decision, saying he had not been consulted on the matter and Odinga did not have the constitutional powers to suspend the two ministers.
“In view of the above, the Prime Minister has declared a dispute between the coalition partners and seeks the immediate intervention of the African Union, in particular the office of the eminent African personalities chaired by his excellency Dr. Kofi Annan,” said Musalia Mudavadi, deputy leader of Odinga’s Orange Democratic Movement.
Mudavadi is one of two deputy Prime Ministers appointed as part of the power-sharing deal that ended months of post-election violence in 2008 over a disputed election. The other deputy prime minister is from Kibaki’s party.
ZANIS/NAMPA/Reuters
This is why in our country we say the “Utopia of PACTS politics are none starter.You cannot pair up defeatists famously called rejects to stabilize and develope a country. Zero + Zero=Zero. Its Kenyans that have lost billions in sustaining egoistical Grand scale Government of appeasement.In Zimbabwe it has failed and in our country without constitutional framework and society will its a utopia to even dream of it.Mulpti-partism is not about marriages of conveniences but alternative policy orientation which the so called HakaSata preoccupied with insulting RB is missing.
God let your kingdom come and reign in Africa……..:o
Good Morning
These are Kindergarten politics that Kibaki is displaying. It is only in Africa that a President infringes the powers of the Prime Minister like this. Kibaki should keep a low profile like presidents of other countries e.g. Germany, where the president merely plays a represantative role. Otherwise this favorite tourist destination is heading for disaster and will become another failed state should things continue like this.
Nine Chale,
This is were i see your need for constitutional orientation.Kenya’s constitution has no ceremonial Presidency but a constitutional one with all executive powers such as power of appointments, disappointment, commander inchief of the armed forces, signing of international treaties and conventions all vested in him.The country’s constitution does not give the Prime Minister such powers as he is just a Government administrator with derivative powers at the discretion of the Presidency.GNU does not give him holistically the executive constitutional powers he he is lacking.I expected you based in Germany to understand this because German has the Chancellor with executive privileges while the Presidency is ceremonial.
This is yet another evidence to show how much power most of these so called African presidents command. The next you expect when a man has so much power is a dictatorship and the manipulation of the ‘constitution’ to make themselves Wamuyayaya. We have seen this in Zambia with Kaunda and Chiluba and there are already strong indications that Rupiah will beat them all. Why bother about the Kenyan dictator, I’m worried about what our own is up to.
#4 Veteran thanks for that enlightening me on that one. I usually find myself explaining things that others here might explain better than me but I guess that’s the way we learn. Cheers:)>-
Zambians watch out and be concerned about these pacts. Once those guys, HakaSata Pact, get into power, they will face similar problems. Problems of who sharing ministrial positions, problems of making decisions, and many more. Just months ago, Sata was saying Chinese investors won’t be welcome to Zambia once he gets into power but HH countered by saying investors from all over the world, including China, will be welcome and that what we need to do is to scrutinise and overhaul our investment policy to bar mediocre investors. Already, this is a cause of worry because once in power, they will spend more time bickering at the expense of the citizens. It’s best they merge than work as a pact so that they form government with same policies and not just for the sake of going into State House.
Lets not forget that Odinga and Kibaki actually got together to get rid of Moi. After that objective was attained, they immediately fell out with Odinga leaving the first Kibaki regime, which ultimately led to the blood letting we saw in 2008. I think the parallels with Zambia should offer a sobering thought to all those whose main objective is to oust the present govt without critically assessing what the implications of being ruled by two divergent parties will be for the future development and stability of Zambia.
Kenyan politics have got very BIG PROBLEMS! I don’t even see Koffi helping much in resolving the Raila-Kibaki standoffs…I personally see the problem to be with Raila and his tribe the LUOs. This is because, i don’t think Raila has the contitutional powers to suspend any of his ministers despite the fact that he is prime minister of the power sharing deal! This was definately taken as an undermine of his authority and powers NO wonder he had to reinstate the two suspended ministers….Kenyan politics are very basic and tribal!!!
All the best to the power sharing deal however.
why is this here? this is called lusaka times. not nailobi tymz. boring