Annan back for talks on reform and Hague

• Ministers confident that government has made ‘real’ progress on Agenda Four

Between December 6 and 8, he will be joined by Ms Graça Machel to review progress in the implementation of the Kenya National Dialogue and Reconciliation process.

Ms Machel was among the prominent African personalities who brokered a power-sharing agreement between President Kibaki and Prime Minister Odinga. The others were former Tanzanian president Benjamin Mkapa and Mr Annan.

Diplomats

Ms Machel and Mr Annan will meet representatives of civil society, religious leaders and the business community and diplomats before addressing journalists at the end of the visit.

ODM is represented in the Dialogue Team by Deputy Prime Minister Musalia Mudavadi, Lands minister James Orengo, Dr Sally Kosgei (Higher Education) and Mr William Ruto (Agriculture) while Mr Kilonzo, Prof Sam Ongeri (Education), Mr Moses Wetang’ula (Foreign Affairs) and Mrs Beth Mugo (Public Health) represent PNU coalition.

Mrs Mugo recently replaced former Justice minister Martha Karua.

Mr Annan was last in Kenya in October when he pushed for reforms and trial of poll violence suspects.

Two months ago, a report from South Consulting, which was contracted by Mr Annan’s team to evaluate progress made in implementation of the Accord, regretted that the number of reformers in government had declined drastically.

The team said this threatened the implementation of reforms agreed on under the National Accord signed by President Kibaki and Mr Odinga on February 28, last year.

Land, constitutional and legal reforms, eradication of poverty, and ensuring equity and unity of Kenyans are the issues that fall under Agenda Four.

The team also warned that planned reforms in the Police Force and the Judiciary “may lead to only general administrative ones” if they are not anchored in a new constitution.

The review, done between May and June 2009, said that in rural areas, wananchi had formed vigilante groups to fight illegal armed groups, which have been committing crimes and extorting money from the public.

It added that some internally displaced people had not returned to their homes partly because of insecurity and the slow pace of healing and reconciliation.

“The politics of patronage seems to be driving the Coalition and deflecting energy away from reforms,” the report said.

It also noted that prosecuting individuals responsible for the poll violence remained a touchy issue because it could prevent healing and reconciliation as most people believed trying the perpetrators would spark a new wave of violence.