Too Late To Back Out!

I logged on to Mzungu Chick's blog, as I do every day, and there she says she had heard tear gas cannisters being fired!

Do I really want to hear this 48 hours before I touch down in Nairobi? 48 hours can be a very long time in Kenya.

Then I read the talks are faltering and Kofi Annan has resorted to slapping wrists.

Harder, Mr Annan. Hit 'em harder!

And finally there is still the threat of peaceful mass protests (Riots)on the part of ODM supporters, if they aren't totally p!ssed off being shot at by the Police.

Always someone willing to throw the spanner ...

Like there aren't enough problems in Kenya ...like Kofi Annan isn't having a hard enough job keeping the two sides talking (dare I say negotiating?) ... but some loser has to try and throw a spanner in the works!

The loser in question is Antony Ndung’u Kirori, who lost his fight to become a legislator in the Kenyan Government. He obviously doesn't understand the rules, if you don't get enough votes, you lose!

Having lost his fight to win Raila's seat, he is challenging the validity of the mediation talks and wants the High Court to issue an order restraining all the negotiators from adopting any resolution by the Kofi Annan team which is likely to alter the governance structure of Kenya in violation of the Constitution.

His rants, which have been submitted to the courts, if taken seriously will only help the people intent on ruining the country. So, can anyone tell me, what is his agenda?

Kenyans to review disputed poll

From the BBC website: Friday, 15 February 2008, 15:38 GMT

Kenya's rival political parties have agreed to set up an independent panel to review last year's disputed elections, Kofi Annan has said.

The former United Nations secretary general however said that a possible power-sharing agreement had not yet been finalised.

The independent panel, including Kenyan and non-Kenyan experts, will investigate "all aspects" of the disputed election, said Mr Annan.

The committee is due to start work on 15 March and submit its report within three to six months, he added.

"We are there, we are very close, we are moving steadily," Mr Annan said, after two days of secret talks to end the crisis. [In a luxury hotel, of course]

Sorry? Are we there, nearly there or just on the way? Oh well, I suppose any move in the right direction has to be praised. After all, Tweedledum and Tweedledee weren't going to budge from their respective perches a week ago.

A Spanner in the Works?

Justice Minister Martha Karua seems to want to de-rail the peace process already. After Kofi Annan stated that he did not want a news blackout regarding the talks, she has started ranting, or so it would seem from various new reports.

She has expressed anger with mediator Kofi Annan over comments on resolving the election dispute.

Mr Annan hinted that both sides had agreed on a transitional government for two years, after which fresh presidential elections would be held.

This does not seem unreasonable since it was reported that both teams had tabled proposals for a power-sharing agreement at the talks.

So is this just the Government side trying to put a spanner in the works?