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Kenya

Coalition baby steps commended

NAIROBI, October 3 – The Kenyan coalition government is making good progress according to German Ambassador Walter Lindner, who commended them on Friday.

Speaking during celebrations to mark the 18th German Day of Unity, he said it was normal for the government to have differences but expressed confidence that with more time things would improve.

“The Kenyan coalition is doing well and we can tell the world this. No one is perfect so it is normal to have differences, I believe as time goes the coalition will work out a better way of working together,” he observed.

The ambassador also noted that President Mwai Kibaki and Prime Minister Raila Odinga were taking the active role of ensuring the success of the merged government.

However, Mr Lindner urged the administration to hasten the implementation of the recommendations of the Kofi Annan led peace talks which laid emphasis on land, constitution and the ECK reforms.

The Internal Security Minister, Professor George Saitoti, who was the guest speaker during the celebrations, commended Germany for its continued support for the country especially during the election crisis and talks to strike the power sharing deal.

Mr Saitoti noted that Kenya had a lot to borrow from the German coalition.

Visiting German Environment, Nature Protection and Nuclear Safety Minister Sigmar Gabriel said the coalition government was headed in the right direction.

He said the main aim of such arrangements is to find a common ground to cement peace in the country, and put away selfish political party interests.

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“Coalitions in governments are not to keep something for their party or voters, they should look for ways of satisfying the entire population by reaching compromises and common ground, and I think that is possible.”

Mr Gabriel added that the German National Day of Unity was a demonstration that democracy and peace should be valued by governments because they do not come easily.

He said lives, properties and nations were destroyed before these virtues were attained, and called on nations to work hard to eliminate violence and oppression.

“This day is a good sign of hope, that at the end of the day freedom and democracy will have success and it’s only by the people, to do something for a peaceful way of understanding,” he stated.

The Minister expressed that countries and their citizens must realise that aggression is a hindrance to a successful government.

The German Democratic Republic (East Germany) and the Federal Republic of Germany (West Germany) came together on October 3, 1990, after East Germany brought down the Berlin wall and the two sides were reunited.

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