AU boss to clarify Raila’s task
Nicholas Nthenge | PMPS
On January 10, 2011, Mr Odinga briefed ambassadors and high commissioners from six diplomatic missions in Nairobi on his Cote d’Ivoire trip last week. The envoys were Mr Michael Ranneberger (US), Mr Rob Macaire (Britain), Mr David Collins (Canada), Mr Per Ludvig Magnus (Norway), Mr Etienne de Poncins (France) and Ms Laetitia Van den Assum (Netherlands).
What you need to know:
- President’s men reportedly not happy with how PM was picked
A senior African Union official is expected in the country to calm jitters in the coalition government caused by the appointment of Prime Minister Raila Odinga as mediator in the Cote d’Ivoire crisis.
Mr Jean Ping, chairman of the AU Commission, will meet President Kibaki during his visit.
The meeting also comes at a time Mr Odinga is preparing for a second mission to the West African country later this week.
Sources said that some individuals close to the President were unhappy that the AU did not “properly brief” the President before announcing Mr Odinga’s appointment.
“The feeling was that there was need to make enough consultations given that the PM’s position was likely to be viewed as the Kenyan position,” a source at OP said.
The PM was involved in an almost similar election dispute with President Kibaki when he was declared winner of the discredited 2007 presidential election.
Mr Odinga disputed the result and the crisis ended in a power sharing agreement. In the Cote d’Ivoire case, Mr Odinga has called for military intervention if the incumbent does not hand over power.
According to the PM’s office, Mr Ping offered to come to Kenya and explain the issue but sources at the OP say that he was summoned.
The meeting, according to the sources, is scheduled for 10am on Wednesday morning at Harambee House. Sources in the two offices said that there was a feeling that the matter was not handled in the right diplomatic manner.
The head of the Presidential Press Service Isaiah Kabira confirmed that Mr Ping would meet the President on Wednesday but was non-commital on whether they would discuss the Cote d’Ivoire issue.
Instead, Mr Kabira said; “On the issue of Cote d’Ivoire please talk to the PM’s office”.
When contacted, Mr Odinga’s spokesman Dennis Onyango said that Mr Ping had already given an initial explanation to the government that he contacted the PM directly because he was under pressure from the international community to start mediation before the New Year.
The external pressure, the Nation has learnt, was from France and US.
