Kenya: A New Era Begins As Parliament Opens. 

A new political era has commenced in Kenya with the formal opening of the parliament. 

The parliamentary session heralded the commencement of a new power sharing deal brokered by the international community under the auspices of former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan. 

President Mwai Kibaki and opposition leader Raila Odinga agreed to share power. They signed a deal to form a coalition following weeks of bloodshed after December's disputed elections.  

Expectations 

Kenyan MPs' first duty in the next few days is expected to be voting on legislation that will put into effect the power-sharing deal.  

Under the deal agreed last week by negotiators, Mr Odinga is to be appointed prime minister - a post which does not currently exist under the Kenyan constitution.  

Among other thing, MPs from both sides have agreed to back the national accord and the necessary changes to the constitution, as well as plans to set up a Truth and Reconciliation Commission.  

They will be monitored closely by Kenyans who have suffered its worst crisis since independence 45 years ago. 

The violence that engulfed Kenya in the aftermath of the election left some 1,500 people dead. 

Prayer for Obama

Meanwhile despite a set back in Barack Obama‘s election bid in the US presidential primaries, villagers in his ancestral Kenyan home have continued to offer prayers for his success.

Obama‘s 85-year-old step-grandmother, Sarah Obama, was quoted by the media as saying,” All we can do is pray and thank God. ‘‘

To, George Oduor, 25 a carpenter, “we feel bad, but we all hope he will succeed in the end. ‘‘

Victories for Clinton in Ohio and Texas snapped Obama‘s winning streak and kept alive the New York senator‘s campaign to win the Democratic Party nomination.

The hard-fought duel now moves to Wyoming and Mississippi next week, and then Pennsylvania on April 22, with Clinton still trailing Obama in the pledged delegates who will pick the nominee to run in the November presidential election.

 

BBC/AOA/ Qasim