President Kibaki and South Africa’s Archbishop Desmond Tutu today called for an end to the post election violence in the country saying leaders from across the political divide must give dialogue a chance.

President Kibaki assured Archbishop Tutu that he was committed to political dialogue with members of other political parties.

At a meeting held at State House Nairobi today, the President Kibaki and Archbishop Tutu noted that there was urgent need to find a solution to the politically instigated violence. The two underlined the sanctity of human life noting that political protests must never be an excuse for killing innocent people.

They called on political leaders in the country to stop their supporters from engaging in violent acts, saying it was imperative that all Kenyans involve themselves in peace overtures so as to quickly restore sanity to the country.

President Kibaki reiterated that he was ready and willing to begin consultations and reach out to political party leaders to find solutions to contentious issues. He asked all leaders to cooperate, saying they must be seen to provide positive leadership at this challenging time in the history of the country.

President Kibaki said it was the responsibility of the Government to first secure the country and ensure peace in order to allow for structured dialogue. He once again condemned the acts of violence saying it was despicable for some leaders to incite their people to burn a church where children and women were seeking refuge.

Emphasising that sanity must prevail in the country, the President assured that the Government would give priority to any petitions that will be made in regard to the just concluded General Election.

President Kibaki at the same time asked political leaders to respect the country’s institutions, noting these institutions have been the pillars of the country’s progress and stability over the years.

The meeting was also attended by Anglican Archbishop Benjamin Nzimbi and officials of the National Council of Churches of Kenya led by the General Secretary Canon Peter Karanja and Chairman Eliud Wabukala.

President Kibaki has spoken out against the violence rocking the country but insisted that those not satisfied with the election result should seek redress in the courts.

The President said the elections were free and fair, adding that his Government will deal firmly with any perpetrators of violence.

Speaking off-the-cuff, in Swahili, after reading his statement in English, President Kibaki said the elections were democratic, free and fair after which he was called and informed he had won.

He expressed willingness to dialogue with “concerned parties once the nation is calm and the political temperatures are lowered enough for constructive and productive engagement”.

Here is the full text of the President’s statement, excluding the remarks made in Swahili:

Fellow Kenyans, I am deeply disturbed by the senseless violence instigated by some leaders in pursuit of their personal political agendas.  This is causing unnecessary loss of lives, destruction of property and displacement of innocent wananchi from their homes, especially women and children.

As your President, I want to assure all of you that the Government is doing everything possible to ensure the security of all Kenyans.  Those who continue to violate the law will face its full force.  I urge the public to remain calm as the Government continues with its efforts to restore law and order.

In the last few days, I have continuously appealed for peace and restraint.  I wish to thank those who have heeded my call, and especially those who have taken the initiative to bring about peace and reconciliation in our country.

I want to remind leaders that you have an obligation to respect and uphold the constitution of this country, and its laws.  You have an obligation to uphold and protect the right of every Kenyan to live, work, and own property anywhere in our country.  It is your duty to ensure that these rights are protected and upheld throughout this nation.

As we seek avenues of bringing back peace and calm to this country, I am appealing to you to demonstrate your respect for this country and its institutions by restraining yourselves, and your supporters from engaging in unlawful activities.

In particular, I am appealing to all young people to reject any attempts to use them to harm their fellow Kenyans.  This is your country too, and to harm your fellow citizens and wilfully destroy property is to destroy your own future.

I have said before that I will personally lead this nation in healing and reconciliation.  I have opened my office to all Kenyans of goodwill whose desire is to have a united, peaceful, and stable Kenya.

I am ready to have dialogue with concerned parties once the nation is calm and the political temperatures are lowered enough for constructive and productive engagement.

I am directing the Police Commissioner to increase the number of police hotlines for the wananchi to report any suspicious activities that may lead to acts of lawlessness.  I am also directing our security services to be vigilant and deal firmly with all perpetrators of criminal activities. 

The Government is providing food and other humanitarian requirements to all those displaced by the violence.  The military has been entrusted with the execution of this important responsibility.  I convey my deepest condolences and sympathies to the relatives of all the innocent persons who have lost their lives.

I will soon be visiting the affected areas to join fellow Kenyans in the healing and reconciliation process.  Once again, fellow Kenyans, I want to reiterate my commitment and duty to protect the lives and property of all Kenyans, and to ensure that this country is governed by the rule of law that applies to all of us, irrespective of our status. 

My fellow Kenyans, let us work together as brothers and sisters to seek lasting peace and unity for our country.

Thank You and God Bless Kenya.

His Excellency Mwai Kibaki won the December 2007 General Elections. The President emerged winner with over four million votes and beat his opponent with over 200 thousand votes. The results that were announced on the 31st December 2007 also saw the president being sworn in on the same day.

The news also saw a carnival mood engulf most of greater Meru region after news that President Mwai Kibaki had been re-elected. Thousands of residents donning PNU T-shirts and caps sang and danced in the streets of Meru, Chuka, Maua and Marimanti.

In Nyeri, leaders welcomed the re-election, saying the country would continue to prosper. They called for calm and urged all Kenyans to accept the results announced by ECK boss Samuel Kivuitu.

“All Kenyans should live harmoniously. Today we have (President) Kibaki and tomorrow somebody else. No tribe should victimise another,” said former Nyeri Town MP P.G. Mureithi.In his speech, the president swore to protect his country and continue serving the Nation with all honesty.

Today is officially the last day of the 2007 General elections campaign!President Kibaki will today at 10am have a rally at Uhuru park.The police have promised tight security to ensure there are no hitches during the rally.Yesterday,the President appealed for huge voter turn-out on Thursday,a day that is highly anticipated by all Kenyans.

During his campaigns he has visited also the marginalised communities in the North Rift.He visited Kakuma in Turkana North,Alale and Kacheliba both in Pokot North and Makutano in West Pokot Districts.The President said that the Government has stumped out insecurity in these areas,the economy has improved by 93%being financed locallyand also free secondary school education will be implimented as soon as he is re-elected.KAZI IENDELEE!

President Kibaki asked pastoralist communities to shun cattle rustling saying that the practice was outdated. The President, who is campaigning in the North Rift today, visited Kakuma in Turkana North, Alale and Kacheliba in Pokot North district and Makutano in West Pokot district yesterday, Friday, where he asked voters to re-elect him for a second term.

Addressing wananchi in Kacheliba, he asked parents to take their children to school and emphasised on the importance of educating girls.Adding that the Government would set up three girls’ schools in the area.

The President said the Government had managed to stamp out insecurity in the area and was in the process of expanding the rural electrification programme to cover more areas.

The Head of State noted that the country’s economy had improved and that 93 per cent of its development programmes were financed by Kenyan tax payers.

He renewed his promise of free secondary education and asked parents to enrol their children in schools, warning that those who will fail to do so would face the law.

The President added that the Government would provide soft loans to pastoralist to restock their animals decimated by drought.

Earlier, the President opened the new district headquarters for Pokot North District at Alale and created additional administrative divisions of Kanyerus and Ompolion.

He also elevated Kacheliba division into a sub-district.

The President was accompanied by ministers John Michuki, Musikari Kombo and PNU candidate for Kacheliba constituency, the Rev John Lodinyo.

Elsewhere, Mrs Kibaki urged parents in the country to protect their children from unscrupulous politicians especially on election day eve so that the youths could be sober during the polling day.

President Kibaki created a new district and issued 3,000 title deeds to farmers in the North Rift during a campaign tour Thursday. He also ordered increased security on the border of Trans Nzoia East and West Pokot districts. It being barely five months after the president split Trans-Nzoia District into Kitale West and Kitale East, Kwanza Distrct will now have its headquarters at Endebess, which was formerly a divisional centre.

Speaking while campaigning in Kwanza and Cherangany, he asked people who had fled their farms to return, saying that security would be beefed up in the area.

In Kiminini, the President, who was accompanied by ministers Musikari Kombo, John Michuki, Noah Wekesa and Kipruto Kirwa, and Saboti PNU candidate Eugene Wamalwa issued 3,000 title deeds to a section of Saboti residents.

He said the title deeds would enable them secure loans from banks, adding that the Government had already set aside Sh3 billion as fund for women and youth.

He promised that the Government would look into the problems of an estimated 34,000 squatters in Saboti and Kwanza. 

“We are going to ensure that the security of Kwanza people is safeguarded by having more security personnel on the ground,” the President said.  He instucted Internal Security minister, Mr John Michuki to post a DC, vehicles and other necessary equipment to make the new district functional. “Kijana huyu John Michuki atatuma DC hii wiki ijayo. Kwa hivyo kazi iendelee”. He was on his second day of his three day campaign in the North Rift region.

On Wednesday the president toured Nandi Hills in Nandi South and Kapsabet town in Nandi North and addressed a rally at Nandi Bears Golf Course grounds where he also created a new district. At endebess Kibaki announced tyhat the road between the town and Suam on the Kenya-Uganda border would be tarmacked. He also added that the government would seek funds to buy land to settle 20,000 squatters. He promised to have a power transformer installed at Kapomboi trading centre.

The last few weeks have probably been the busiest for President Kibaki politically since he was sworn in on December 30, 2002.  The President has been traversing the country addressing several political rallies in a day.

Last weekend, he managed to cover the greater Marsabit together with Isiolo, Garissa and Ijara districts in the northern part of the country.

He then embarked on another vote hunting mission on Monday in Gusii and Kuria district.

The President who is seeking a second term in office on a PNU ticket completed his tour of this region in one day before moving to Lower Eastern on Tuesday where he addressed 17 political rallies in Kibwezi, Makueni and Machakos.

President Kibaki had landed at Mtito Andei in a helicopter early in the morning. He, however, used the road throughout his campaign trail - covering more than 300 kilometres.

The Head of State had hit the road at 9am in Kibwezi and addressed his last meeting in Machakos at around 8pm. His last rally was in Mlolongo in Athi River, which he addressed at 8.45pm.   

“We want to make sure that the President visits as many places as possible as voters want to see him. They want to see the President and hear him talk,” PNU national campaign manager George Nyamweya told the Nation. 

A tireless President was in the North Rift region on Wednesday ,where he held rallies in Baringo, Nandi South, Nandi North and East Pokot.

On Wednesday, he exuded confidence  saying: “I have spent the last two months of the campaigns applying the same level of focused energies as I have done in my leadership of the country in the last five years.

Nakuru Town has since independence been one of the hot beds of the country’s politics. And as the battle enters the home stretch, President Kibaki visits the town on Friday in his frenzied last-ditch campaign tours.

The president and Kanu chairman Uhuru Kenyatta are scheduled to campaign in the constituency tomorrow to consolidate the presidential vote and party support in the town. 

During the visit, the president will meet with political, community and business leaders and representatives of various interest groups including women, youth, professionals and small scale traders. 

The arrival of the president in the town just a few days ahead of the elections will be a major boost for the PNU campaign.

President Kibaki has intensified his campaigns, issuing promises drawn from his Party of National Unity (PNU) manifesto.

The President has lavished the electorate with pledges, which he believes will sustain growth if implemented.

On the economic front, on which nearly all development agenda is anchored, the PNU manifesto promises an annual growth of five per cent, in addition to containing inflation.

Some pledges, like the free secondary education touch almost every Kenyan family. There are, of course, the famous 500,000 jobs to be created in the formal and informal sectors.

There are also plans to reduce poverty levels by at least five per cent and increase the amount of foreign exchange held by the Central Bank of Kenya.

It is argued that the above can be achieved, if the economy grows consistently.

Kibaki pledges to sustain growth in key sectors such as agriculture, manufacturing, hotels, transport and communications, building and construction, financial services and wholesale and retail trade “within a stable and predictable macro-economic environment”.

“We have maintained an underlying annual inflation rate of about five per cent as we promised, sustained by prudent monetary and fiscal policies,” the PNU manifesto says.

PNU has also pledged free health care for all children, free ante-natal care in public hospitals, world-class road networks, railways and sea-ports, water supply, low cost housing, livestock production and fishing so as to create a “globally competitive environment for investments in tourism”.

The pledge to ensure security for all and their property has been met with skepticism as crime rate soars.

There is also a pledge to pay the last few phases of the pay deal for teachers negotiated with the last regime.

Some pledges have huge financial implications such as the creation of new administrative districts and divisions, which mean residents will build offices for the civil servants. Many are unaware of this burden and applaud at the excitement of services being brought “closer to the people”.

Plans for the provision of tution fees in secondary schools in January are complete, Education permanent secretary Karega Mutahi has said.

“We are ready to start offering free education to students in public secondary schools next year,” said the PS after opening a workshop on quality assurance in higher education at the Kenya School of Monetary Studies, Nairobi.

He said the Government was committed to ensure all Kenyan children have access to 14 years of basic education–two in nursery, eight in primary and four at secondary level. “Kenyans should rest assured that we are serious on free secondary schooling and it comes to effect in January,” said Prof Mutahi. 

President Kibaki has promised that his government will offer free secondary education next year if elected.The Government has set aside Sh4.3 billion to meet the cost of learning materials at an annual rate of Sh3,600 per student in public schools.

Out of the Sh3,600 to be disbursed to schools, Sh2,185 will be used to buy text books, Sh728 exercise books while Sh300 will be spent on laboratory equipment and chemicals. The balance will be spent on chalk, dusters, registers and internal assessment examinations. 

Parents will meet the cost of boarding and other requirements.

He said mechanisms have been put in place to ensure students who sat the Kenya Certificate of Primary Education examination this year join secondary schools. The tuition waiver is expected to increase more than 200,000 students in secondary schools.Prof Mutahi’s assurance on free schooling came as it emerged that a task force led by educationist Edda Gachukia on affordable secondary education, has proposed that students in day schools be educated at no cost. 

This means parents will not pay a single cent if the proposal is implemented.

Sources said the team has proposed that parents with students in boarding schools will only pay the boarding fee that has been revised to remove charges that have no direct bearing to learning.