Food prices and ECK to top agenda of cabinet meeting

The fate of the Electoral Commission of Kenya is expected to top the agenda of a Cabinet meeting to be chaired by President Kibaki on Tuesday morning.

Also up for discussion are ways to stop the rapid rise in food prices, electricity, fuel and fares.

On that, the Cabinet will consider what other governments are doing to fight inflation and help their citizens cope with the aftermath of the financial crisis triggered by mortgage meltdown in the United States.

The Cabinet will use every means at its disposal to protect consumers and the economy at large, said acting Finance minister John Michuki.

Pump prices

The minister urged oil companies to act responsibly and “immediately reduce their pump prices”, in a statement issued in New York, where he was on his way home from a meeting of Commonwealth finance ministers held in Castries, St Lucia Island.

The fate of the ECK chaired by Mr Samuel Kivuitu will come up for discussion a day before President Kibaki and Prime Minister Raila Odinga receive a report of the Commission inquiring into post-election violence.

The man who chaired the commission, Mr Justice Philip Waki, will hand a copy of the same report to former UN secretary-general Kofi Annan who mediated the peace.

The Waki report is said to be as critical of the ECK as was the Kriegler commission, which indicted the Kivuitu team for mishandling the election.

Foreign minister Moses Wetang’ula said last week that a Cabinet sub-committtee has already endorsed the Kriegler report, which goes to the Cabinet for discussion on Tuesday.

The 42-member Cabinet has been pulling in different directions over the report, with Prime Minister Raila Odinga and Vice-President Kalonzo Musyoka taking different positions.

The PM and ministers allied to the Orange Democratic Movement have maintained that the ECK should be disbanded to pave way for the comprehensive electoral reforms.

Mr Musyoka has led the other half of the Government in asking that the current commissioners stay until the necessary reforms take effect.

The Kriegler report released two weeks ago calls for a complete overhaul of the country’s electoral process including the possible replacement of the current team.

Though accepting most of the suggested reforms, some of the ECK commissioners have said they will not resign.