REPORT CARD-F

A group commissioned by the Kofi Annan-led Panel of Eminent African Personalities has delivered a damning verdict on the performance of President Kibaki and Prime Minister Raila Odinga: You have failed.

The President and the PM have failed to unite their supporters under one government, giving the impression that Kenya had two governments, according to the verdict of the South-South consulting group.

President Kibaki and Mr Odinga were assessed on how well they had performed in promoting national healing and reconciliation, instilling discipline in government, fight against corruption, creation of jobs for youth and resettlement of internally displaced families.

They were also assessed on the fight against impunity, especially the trial of post-election violence suspects, and steering the road to a new constitution. On all these parameters, the President and PM were found to have performed below average.

The number of vigilante groups was found to have increased, especially in urban areas, where some operate as sleeper gangs waiting to be triggered into action by politicians. All commissions set up to spearhead reforms were found to be behind schedule except the one on boundaries review.

Though conducted before the dramatic power play between President Kibaki and Mr Odinga in the past two weeks, the report has no kind words for the two coalition partners. The report is expected to form a major part of discussions when Mr Annan and other members of his team meet in Nairobi at the end of next month to assess progress on Agenda Four and reforms.

Mr Annan’s team had scheduled the visit even before ODM declared a crisis in the coalition and invited the eminent personalities to help resolve it. The move has been criticised by some religious leaders and politicians.

In the audit, President Kibaki and Mr Odinga were accused of presiding over “two governments in one”, protecting cronies, and allowing their interests to overshadow the drive for key reforms. “The partners continue to present opposing views on important national issues,” says the report by the research firm South Consulting.

Negotiators

The Serena team of negotiators, which brings together Cabinet ministers from both sides of the coalition, was scheduled to discuss the report on Wednesday but the ODM group did not turn up for the review.

The meeting was requested by Ghanaian diplomat Nana Effah-Apenteng, the director of the Annan panel’s Nairobi liaison office. Justice minister Mutula Kilonzo accused the ODM group of showing disinterest in the talks. “It is sad that our friends from ODM did not see reason to attend the review meeting,” he said.

According to the report, problems in the coalition revolve around lack of consultation between the two principals as well as their reluctance to act decisively on matters touching on their supporters. “It is debatable whether the two principals support actions by each other, especially on decisions that affect their respective constituencies.”

The audit conducted between October and December says political leaders are more interested in personal interests rather than national interests. It paints a picture of a disjointed government hoisted by ethnic interests, which entertains impunity and is keen to block critical reforms.

President Kibaki and Mr Odinga are blamed for failure to unite Cabinet, promote national healing, fight corruption and resettle internally displaced families. Uncharacteristic of previous reports, the strongly worded appraisal puts the political elite in the dock, accusing them of mobilising ethnic groups to protect their interests.

And due to the perception that the two coalition partners are working at cross purpose, as depicted in the past two weeks, the audit says suspicion and lack of trust within Cabinet has spilled over to the civil service.

“There is a perception that some permanent secretaries have been used to undermine ministers.” There is also tension regarding how some of the public appointments are made, with some ministers accused of picking parastatal heads without following procedure. In return, the parastatal chiefs give jobs to the ministers’ relatives and cronies.

The rise of new political alliances formed along ethnic lines to promote personal interests is compounding the problem, says the survey. The Interim Independent Electoral Commission on Friday said it had made “commendable strides” in fulfilling its mandate.

Its spokesman, Mr Andrew Limo, said key among the successes was the establishment of an efficient secretariat, fresh registration of voters and development of modern information and communication technology systems for management of elections.