Date: Thu, 27 Mar 2008 06:01:21 -0700 (PDT)
From: “Bishop Dr. Washington Ogonyo Ngede”

Kenyans greatly need normalcy in service delivery to immediately resume in the country and this is to be realized through quick implementation of the pact signed a month ago between President Mwai Kibaki and Hon. Raila Odinga.

It is clear that no proper services are offered to Kenyans by the government and this calls for immediate dissolution of the current cabinet and the naming of new cabinet based on the 50—50 agreement signed by the two leaders last month. The issue of the expected cabinet has raised serious anxiety among the Kenyan public and it must urgently be addressed without further delay.

To implement what the two leaders signed in-front of International mediators led by H.E Koffi Annan, there must be total sincerity and commitment by both PNU and ODM teams in ensuring that co-existence and normal life were realized in the country as soon as possible.

As religious leaders we must take this opportunity to ask President Kibaki to without any further delay dissolve the current cabinet and put up anew one in a coalition government as per what they signed with Hon Raila, who has bent so much, a move that saw a decline of the volatile situation in the country from the last general election results.

We, as Nyanza Council of Church leaders, must be open in pointing out that the situation in the country was still not good and that any move to renegade on the signed document on power sharing is more likely to throw the country into another unexpected environment.

It is on that ground therefore that we appeal to our two leaders that is Hon Kibaki and Hon Raila to be sincere to one another and to the country by going to what they signed in power sharing on how to govern the country.

We, support a 34 member cabinet since Kenya is a developing country and it would be a big burden to the tax-payers to have a bloated cabinet. President Kibaki must without delay any further delay put a new cabinet which must be lean and service oriented.

We believe that Kenyans keenly follow the current unfolding events and they can see that Hon Raila Odinga has bent so much to ensure that harmony returned in the country despite that he is the one who won with Parliamentary and Civic representatives. He actually should have more share in the new government structure if H.E Hon Kibaki and PNU are sincere.

In line with our call, we feel duty bound to point out to our leaders that they will harshly be judged by history should another unexpected environment crops up in the country due to the stalemate on over the size and portfolios of the expected cabinet.

Lastly, lets remind ourselves as Kenyans from where we have come from about two months ago and we jealously guard against a repeat of the same. This is why our two leaders, Hon Kibaki and Hon Raila Odinga MUST be sincere to one another on EXACTLY what they signed on power sharing. The Bible said is YES let it be YES, we don’t expect any leader to go against the agreement.

God bless Kenya. Thank you,

Bishop Dr Washington Ogonyo Ngede,
Chairman, Power of Jesus Around the World Church, &
Nyanza Council of Church leaders (on behalf of the Council)

Subject: PRESS RELEASE BY BISHOP Dr WASHINGTON OGONYO NGEDE OVER CABINET STALEMATE
March 27, 2008.