Annan to meet Kenya leaders over reforms

Former Secretary-General of the United Nations Kofi Annan. He is in the country to assess the pace of reforms. Photo/ FILE

What you need to know:

  • He will be joined by Mrs Graca Machel in discussions with President Kibaki and Prime Minister Raila Odinga.
  • Mr Annan will also chair a meeting of the Board of Directors of the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa.

Kenya peace talks mediator Kofi Annan is expected in the country Wednesday on a busy schedule that includes reviewing progress of the reform agenda.

He will be joined by Mrs Graca Machel, a member of the Africa Union Panel of Eminent African Personalities, in discussions with President Kibaki and Prime Minister Raila Odinga.

"From 6 to 8 December 2009, Mr Annan, Chairman of the AU Panel of Eminent African Personalities, will be joined by Panel Member Mrs Graça Machel to review progress in the implementation of the Kenya National Dialogue and Reconciliation (KNDR) process.

"Mr Annan and Mrs Machel are looking forward to holding discussions with President Mwai Kibaki and Prime Minister Raila Odinga, members of the Dialogue Team and other political personalities," said a statement from the AU panel.

The mediators will also meet meet members of the civil society, the Clergy, the business community, diplomats and other stakeholders during their Kenya visit.

They will seek to know the status of reforms under Agenda 4 that includes enactment of a new constitution, land, legal and institutional reforms, reducing poverty, unemployment, equity and national cohesion under the long term problems facing the country.

On his last visit in October this year, Mr Annan warned that the pace of reforms must be accelerated to avoid a "recurrence of the crisis and violence that engulfed the country in 2007."

He, however, lauded commendable steps in the reform process such as the formation of the Interim Independent Election Commission, the Interim Independent Boundaries Review Commission and the National Cohesion and Integration Commission.

The other members of the Dialogue Team are ministers: James Orengo (Lands), Sally Kosgey (Higher Education), Moses Wetangula (Foreign Affairs), Mutula Kilonzo (Justice), Musalia Mudavadi (Local Government), William Ruto (Agriculture), Sam Ongeri (Education) and Beth Mugo (Public Health).

Mrs Mugo replaced former Justice minister Martha Karua, who resigned from the coalition government citing frustrations in running her docket.

The former United Nations secretary general played a key role, as chairman of the AU Panel, in brokering a peace deal between President Kibaki and Prime Minister Raila Odinga.

The two agreed to share power under a coalition government to resolve an electoral crisis triggered by a disputed presidential poll.

The chaos left 1,133 people dead and a further 600,000 displaced from their homes.

During his visit, Mr Annan will also chair a meeting of the Board of Directors of the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA), which is headquartered in Nairobi, on Wednesday.

Mr Annan and Mrs Machel will brief the press at the end of their visit.