Kibaki says courts must settle dispute
Kenyan President Mwai Kibaki blamed opposition leaders on Friday for instigating the violence that has killed more than 850 people in the once-stable East African country. Speaking at a meeting in Addis Ababa of the east African regional grouping IGAD, Kibaki also said the dispute over his re-election that provoked the violence must be settled through Kenya’s courts—something rejected by the opposition. In remarks sure to upset Raila Odinga’s Orange Democratic Movement (ODM), Kibaki said: “Regrettably, although the election results reflected the will of the majority of Kenyans, the leaders in the opposition instigated a campaign of civil unrest that resulted in over 800 deaths.”
Odinga says Kibaki stole the election and refuses to accept statements suggesting the latter is the country’s rightful leader.
Kibaki, current chairman of IGAD (The Intergovernmental Authority on Development) said “few close to call elections are not marred by allegations of irregularities,” adding that Kenya’s judiciary must arbitrate in the current dispute.
The opposition says Kibaki rigged the vote and has appointed judges favourable to him. It says the courts will take years to issue a ruling.
Kibaki said the security situation in Kenya, where ethnic killing spiralled this week, was under control.
He seemed to be sticking to the line that the courts would handle the dispute despite mediation by former U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan, who is trying to bring the two sides together to end the violence.
Current U.N. Chief Ban Ki-moon flew to Nairobi on Friday to back Annan’s efforts.
Reuters
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