NAIROBI: PRESS STATEMENT

President Mwai Kibaki and Prime Minister Raila Odinga at Harambee house where they held talks

His Excellency Mwai Kibaki, the President and Commander in Chief of the Defence Forces of the Republic of Kenya and the Rt. Hon. Raila Odinga, Prime Minister of the Republic of Kenya have had extensive consultations today on matters of concern to the nation.
The matters discussed by the two Principals were:
(a) the ICC process;
(b) the nominations to fill the Constitutional offices;
(c) resettlement of all IDPs; and
(d) Acting Ministerial appointments.
In regard to the ICC process, the two Principals reiterated the position of the Government that Kenya has always preferred that the cases be dealt with through a local legal mechanism. To that end, the Grand Coalition Government has embarked on the critical appointments in the Judicial system to ensure that the country has a credible local Judicial mechanism to competently and comprehensively deal with the cases relating to post election violence.
Furthermore, the Grand Coalition Government is undertaking diplomatic and legal initiatives with the UN Security Council and the ICC with an appeal that the cases currently being handled by the ICC be deferred for one year and thereafter referred to a competent local mechanism. The one year deferment will give the country the necessary time to establish the local mechanism as envisaged in the ongoing Constitutional Reforms. This process will be handled through a Grand Coalition bipartisan Cabinet Committee.
On the Issue of the nominations to fill State offices currently under consideration by Parliament, the two Principals agreed to respect the ongoing parliamentary process and its outcome.
Furthermore, the two Principals assured Kenyans that they will observe the letter and spirit of the Constitution in implementation of the Constitution including the appointment to State Offices.
His Excellency the President and the Right Honourable Prime Minister also reviewed the ongoing IDP resettlement affecting the remaining 5,000 families from the Post Election Violence, 3,000 families from Mau and 3,000 families from Embubut. They acknowledged that 14,000 acres have been identified and the process of purchase was under way. In that connection, they directed that the purchase of land be speeded up so that the three categories of IDPs are settled simultaneously.
At the same time, and after consultation with the Rt. Hon. Prime Minister, H.E. Mwai Kibaki, the President and Commander in Chief of the Defence Forces of Kenya has appointed:
1. Hon. Dalmas Otieno, Minister of State for Public Service to be Acting Minister for Medical Services.
2. Hon. Amason Jeffah Kingi, Minister for Fisheries Development to be Acting Minister for Industrialization.