Kenyan unity government sworn in
Kenya swore in a new Cabinet on Thursday of more than 90 people, which one Kenyan official described as "a big burden on a poverty-stricken country." The ceremony capped months of violence in which about 1,000 people died following last year's disputed elections. The Cabinet is split 50-50 between former bitter enemies from opposing parties. After a power-sharing compromise, opposition leader Raila Odinga was sworn in as prime minister, the first person to hold that office since Jomo Kenyatta held it briefly after independence in 1963. Mwai Kibaki remains president. Under a political agreement signed February 28, Cabinet positions were to be distributed equally, but the two sides disagreed on how they would be divided. Though the opposition called for a lean Cabinet, the final number, in an accord reached Saturday, is 40 ministers and 52 assistant ministers. The Cabinet has been roundly criticized by civil society groups for being too big and too expensive. "The Cabinet is extremely huge and a big burden on a poverty-stricken country to carry," Hassan Omar Hassan, a commissioner on Kenya's National Commission for Human Rights, told CNN. "Though there are those (who) surrendered to the fact that our nation was almost threatened with destruction and disintegration, then it might be a worthwhile price to pay." The new government includes several new ministries, including portfolios for industrialization, planning and Nairobi metropolitan development. Kibaki said there also will be a Ministry of Northern Kenya. Kenya's disputed December 27 election between Kibaki and Odinga sparked weeks of chaos. The incumbent Kibaki narrowly won amid allegations that the vote was rigged. The United Nations estimates that the violence killed about 1,000 people and drove another 300,000 from their homes.The U.S. State Department -- which had pushed both sides to reach an agreement -- praised the deal. "We commend the president and prime minister-designate for once again making the courageous decisions necessary to move the nation forward," State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said in a written statement. "Formation of the cabinet is an important step along the road toward full implementation of the political accord." |
