Reforms on track, Kibaki tells Annan

By Beauttah Omanga

The Government is on track in the implementation of reforms under Agenda Four, President Kibaki has said.

The President spoke when he met former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan on Monday.

Sources told The Standard Dr Annan, who was accompanied by Gracha Machel, wife of former South African President Nelson Mandela, demanded for speedy implementation of the reform agenda.

Mrs Machel was part of the team that helped broker a deal that led to formation of the Grand Coalition Government.

Annan had last week expressed concern over the reluctance by Parliament to pass a Motion by Imenti Central MP Gitobu Imanyara, seeking to establish a local tribunal to try perpetrators of post-election violence.

Mediators Kofi Annan and GraÁa Machel when they toured projects under the Kenya Slum Upgrading Programme at Kibera Soweto in Nairobi, on Monday. Photo: Reuters/Standard

Annan is expected to issue a statement today after meeting key personalities charged with driving the coalition’s reform agenda.

He held a meeting Prime Minister Raila Odinga last Thursday before another one with Speaker Kenneth Marende the same day.

Local cases

And as if to affirm the Government was keen to establish local mechanisms to try the cases in the event debate in the House flops, Kibaki later met Attorney General Amos Wako.

Mr Wako, who was with Police Commissioner Mathew Iteere, Solicitor General Wanjuki Muchemi, and director of Public Prosecutions Keriako Tobiko, went into a meeting with the President after Annan and Machel had left.

Prior to his arrival in Nairobi for a date with Kibaki and Raila, Annan expressed reservations on the slow pace towards the formation of a local tribunal to try perpetrators of post-election violence.

Last week, MPs boycotted debate on a Bill moved by Imanyara seeking to establish a local tribunal for a third time.

Debate on the Bill is set to resume tomorrow morning when the House is expected to vote if it secures 145 Members. A year ago, the Government rounded up some suspects who were arraigned in court for allegedly having a hand in the post-election violence.

While some cases are yet to be determined, the AG has terminated some.

Courts set free some suspects due to what they termed as poor investigations by the police.

Made progress

According to a PPS dispatch, Kibaki briefed Annan and Machel on the progress made so far to implement reforms to achieve stablility, peace and democracy.

Kibaki said the Government would implement institutional reforms as shown by the publication and release of the Harmonised Draft Constitution for public debate.

He said the Government would ensure a new constitutional dispensation is attained by next year.

He briefed Annan on the progress made on reforms outlined under Agenda Four agreed on under the National Accord, especially land reforms, which the recently passed National Land Policy would address.

Kibaki said the land policy considered the link between land use, environmental conservation, and forestry and water resources.

Other institutional reforms that are ongoing include the implementation of police reforms as outlined in the Phillip Ransley’s report.

Kibaki said the Government was determined to empower communities through increased devolved fund allocations.

Head of Public Service Francis Muthaura and senior Government officials attended the meeting.