20091204

Nairobi — Mr Kofi Annan is on Monday scheduled to meet President Kibaki to discuss the pace of reforms in the country.

The chief mediator in Kenya's post-election political crisis will be joined by Ms Graca Machel and former Tazanian president Benjamin Mkapa, who were also involved in the peace process.

On Tuesday, the team is expected to address a news conference regarding their talks with the two principals -- President Kibaki and Prime Minister Raila Odinga.

Mr Annan has praised Parliament and Speaker Kenneth Marende for efforts to set up a special tribunal to try violence suspects.

The bid to set up the tribunal has been sabotaged three times, with MPs walking out, citing quorum hitches.

The government too has taken a back seat in bringing the masterminds to book and has refused to send the suspects to the International Criminal Court, saying it would amount to abdication of its responsibility.

Mr Annan has called for the arrest and prosecution of the masterminds of the post-poll chaos before the next General Election to be held in 2012.

On Friday, Mr Annan took a break from politics to chair a board meeting of the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa, which comes three days before the start of the UN Climate Change conference in Copenhagen.

And on Friday Justice minister Mutula Kilonzo (below) said the law proposing a local tribunal to try the suspects will be reintroduced in Parliament. He said the ICC may try key perpetrators of the conflict, but the majority that destroyed property, raped or committed other crimes cannot go unpunished.

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