Kenya rivals forge coalition to end crisis

Kenya's President and opposition leader signed a deal to create a power-sharing government yesterday, hoping to end a post-election crisis that plunged the country into its worst turmoil since independence.

After a month of often bitter negotiations interspersed with violence around the east African country, President Mwai Kibaki and rival Raila Odinga inked an agreement and shook hands to a roar of applause.

"We have a deal," mediator Kofi Annan said. "Compromise was necessary for the survival of this country ... they kept the future of Kenya always in their sights and reached a common position for the good of the nation."

Mr Kibaki and Mr Odinga were under intense pressure from the international community and Kenya's 36 million people to find a solution to forestall more violence and help restore the country's reputation as a stable, prosperous regional anchor.

Mr Kibaki's disputed re-election in a December 27 vote triggered ethnic clashes that killed at least 1,000 people and forced 300,000 more to flee their homes.

Under the deal, a new Prime Minister's position will be created for Mr Odinga, who has sought that job since he first helped elect Mr Kibaki in 2002. He claims the President reneged on a deal to give him the job after that vote.

The deal will also give Cabinet posts based on each party's strength in Parliament and create two deputy Prime Ministers' jobs, one for each side of the coalition. Mr Odinga's Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) has the largest number of seats.

Later, Kenya will undertake a full review of the constitution, a 45-year-old document which many Kenyans have pushed to change since the 1990s since it gives the President nearly unchecked authority over the affairs of state.

Many Kenyans want a new charter to help address rifts over land, tribe and wealth that have plagued the nation since before independence from Britain in 1963. The US, Britain and the EU applauded the deal, which they had pushed very hard to get finished as quickly as possible.

"We are pleased... It allows the Kenyan people to move forward with a very basic issue of governance," US State Department spokesman Tom Casey said.

British Prime Minister Gordon Brown said "common sense has prevailed... Real leadership, patience and tolerance is necessary to ensure that the agreement sticks."

Key facts about Kenya

• Geography: Famous for its palm-fringed beaches and wildlife parks, Kenya shares borders with Tanzania, Uganda, Sudan, Ethiopia and Somalia.

• Population: The country of 36.5 million people, split into more than 40 ethnic groups, was widely regarded before the crisis as a haven of relative peace and prosperity in a region plagued by conflict, poverty and disease.

• Religion: Most are Christian (66 percent), six per cent are Muslim and 20 per cent practise traditional African religions.

• Language: The official languages are English and Swahili, but there are more than 50 languages in use, including Kikuyu and Kamba.

• Economy: Kenya's central bank has said economic growth may fall short of the eight per cent projected for this year due to the political crisis. Gross domestic product grew an average five per cent annually since Mr Kibaki won power in 2002.

• Inflation jumped to an annual 18.2 per cent in January from 12 per cent in December due to shortages caused by insecurity mainly in the fertile Rift Valley - Kenya's bread basket.