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Kofi Annan leaves Kenya quietly

NAIROBI, Kenya, March, 12 – Former United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan quietly left the country on Thursday morning after a two day visit.

Mr Annan who arrived on Wednesday afternoon is said to have met with Prime Minister Raila Odinga at Serena Hotel.

The details of the meeting were scanty but sources said the two discussed the progress on the implementation of the National Accord.

On Tuesday Mr Annan, who mediated the embattled power-sharing agreement a year ago, voiced confidence that the coalition government would survive.

"The coalition in Kenya is going through hiccups and difficulties at the moment, but I do expect it to hold. What they need to do is focus on reform, tackle the issues of corruption and transparency," Mr Annan said on the sidelines of an economic conference on Africa held in Dar es Salaam.

Media reports had indicated that the Chief Mediator was in the country for consultations over a planned meeting in Geneva on the progress of the ruling coalition government.

Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka has on several occasions said President Mwai Kibaki will not attend the meeting organised by the Kofi Annan Foundation.

Mr Annan’s visit also came a week after some members of the the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) called for the review of the National Accord claiming that they were being sidelined in government.

He has maintained that the meeting in Geneva at the end of this month has nothing to do with renegotiating the accord but will be used to draw lessons from the Kenyan situation that can be used elsewhere in the world

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A member of the mediation team and cabinet minister Mutula Kilonzo has however said failure to implement the National Accord should be blamed on the two principals.

“We did a very good job in Serena and I don’t think Annan is here on account of the eight mediators, he is here on account of the principals because they are the ones who are letting the country down,” he said.

The Nairobi Metropolitan Development Minister said the two Principals must provide leadership for Kenya to move forward.

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