Accept verdict of majority, Kufuor tells ‘No’ leaders

Former Ghanaian president John Kufuor, who helped end the 2007 post-election violence, is happy with Kenya’s achievements and optimistic that the new constitution will greatly change the country.

Mr Kufuor, who was the African Union chairman when the chaos broke out, has also told those who opposed the new constitution to accept the majority’s verdict and join in Friday’s celebrations.

In an exclusive interview with the Nation, Mr Kufuor said he was first alerted of bloodshed in Kenya by a minister he did not name, before President Kibaki sent Foreign Affairs minister Moses Wetang’ula to call him.

“Within a month or two of the outbreak, about 1,000 people had been slaughtered and property burnt,” Mr Kufuor said at the Serena Hotel.

On Thursday, he recalled his two-day visit to the country, during which he shuttled between State House and the Intercontinental Hotel trying to convince President Kibaki and ODM leader Raila Odinga to agree to meet and call for an end of the killings.

Mr Kufuor said he was happy that the two principals finally agreed to dialogue through the Panel of African Eminent Personalities headed by another Ghanaian, Mr Kofi Annan.

The former president said that when he was in Kenya in 2008, he realised that the electoral system was faulty, there was no clear separation of powers and the land system was bad.

“A lot has since changed. At the time, there were daily reports of killings and everybody lived in fear. Now businesses are flourishing. Many buildings are also coming up,” Mr Kufuor said and expressed delight that his efforts had culminated in the new constitution.

Do not impede progress

Kenyans should be proud, he said, as the new constitution is inclusive, and would stabilise the country and move it forward.

Urging other African countries to emulate Kenya, which healed from chaos and developed a new constitution, Mr Kufuor added that never again should Kenyans resort to violence to resolve issues.

He said those who did not support the new constitution should not “impede progress of the nation because their point was not included.”

Mr Kufuor added that although the constitution provides for good governance, education, health and other rights it is only a framework.