... As President Kibaki Names Cabinet
... Kufour not a mediator, but on fact-finding mission -Kenya Govt
African Union chief, President John Kufuor, sought Wednesday to mediate an end to a growing political crisis in Kenya following disputed presidential polls that sparked violence leaving at least 600 dead.

However, the Kenyan government has labelled Kufuor's trip as a fact-finding mission and not one of mediation.

The Ghanaian president, who was due to meet top US Africa envoy Jendayi Frazer early today, faces even more of an uphill task after a defiant President Kibaki unveiled a partial cabinet which opposition leader Odinga palmed off as a "gimmick", unfortunate and illegal.

The Kenyan president's announcement comes as Kufuor is expected today (Wednesday) to chair talks between the opposition and the government. The talks are aimed at resolving the ongoing political impasse and also to address the escalating violence, which is threatening Kenya's young democracy.

Political observers say Kibaki's announcement would not only embarrass President Kufuor, but could potentially undermine the chance to resolve the country?s political crisis.

"Mr. Kibaki is behaving true to his colors. We had agreed with him that he was not going to make any move, and that is the reason why we postponed our rallies, which were meant to happen today to give negotiations a chance. Our position is that Mwai Kibaki is not the president of Kenya because he lost the election and any purported announcement of anybody into something called a cabinet is a farce," William Ruto a leading member of the opposition ODM told VOA reporter Peter Clottey from the Kenyan capital

"Mwai Kibaki is trying to divert attention from the crisis our country faces. We are due for negotiations under the mediation of the president of Ghana John Kufuor, and he is trying to run away from the discussion because he is ashamed and because he stole from the people of Kenya and he does not want that subject discussed. He believes that he can run this country the way Mugabe (Zimbabwe?s President) is running Zimbabwe. We want to tell him this is Kenya, this is not Zimbabwe, he is not going to get away with it," he said.

Ruto described as unfortunate reports that leading members of President Kibaki's new team are downplaying the role of Kufuor who is expected to jumpstart today?s talks between Kenya?s government and the opposition.

"It is the understanding of ODM, it is the understanding of many leaders in Africa, and it is the understanding of many leaders across the world that President Kufuor is coming here to mediate so that we can end the crisis in our country. Gordon Brown (British Prime minister) had made a statement on this, George Bush of the U. S. made a statement today on this, and he was very categorical that John Kufuor was coming here to mediate on the situation we have here in this country," Ruto pointed out.

He denied the situation on the ground may not favor the opposition ODM party.

?I think things are going the way we wanted. We had proposed right from the beginning that we need negotiations under international mediation. The international community has pressed and in our country yesterday evening President Kufuor arrived and we have prepared ourselves for discussions this morning. Anything about appointing a cabinet is a diversionary tactic and we are not going to buy into that. We are walking straight into the talks, and we want to resolve the issues on the table so that we can move this country forward,? he said.
Meanwhile, partisans of the opposition ODM reportedly rioted in the western city of Kisumu upon hearing that embattled President Mwai Kibaki had named several members of a new cabinet.

Kufour is not the only potential mediator in the country attempting to prevent the crisis from deepening. Frazer has been asked to prolong her mission and four former African presidents - Tanzania's Benjamin Mkapa, Mozambique's Joachim Chissano, Botswana's Katumile Masire and Zambia's Kenneth Kaunda - are also in the country.

Kufuor on fact-finding mission not mediator

"I think President Kufour, in announcing he was coming here, he didn't use the words that he was coming here to mediate," Martha Karua, the justice minister, said.

"That's a creation of the press and I don't know whose agenda it is in the international community ... the dispute will be resolved in court."