President Kibaki and rival Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) leader, Mr Raila Odinga, once again came face-to-face in under a week, as mediation talks kicked-off in Nairobi.
And by their gestures and speeches, the two leaders appeared to demonstrate their willingness to haul the country out of the crippling political impasse brought about by the discredited December 27 presidential poll outcome.
Sitting on either side of former United Nations chief, Mr Kofi Annan, the leaders said they would walk the necessary distance to arrest the country’s free-fall to self-destruction.
"I will leave no stone unturned, nor fail to travel that extra mile to ensure that Kofi Annan’s mediation mission between PNU and ODM succeeds. This is the least I can do for our country," Raila said in a speech read before television cameras.
He added: "This mediation process must quickly show our people that peace, justice and security are round the corner."
On his part, President Kibaki admitted that the country was at a crossroads and that there was urgent need to take a decision that would help Kenyans quickly regain their dignity and restore the stability they have enjoyed since independence.
"I feel deeply saddened to see Kenyans confronting one another violently over issues that can be discussed and resolved peacefully through dialogue," Kibaki, who once again spoke last in his second meeting with Raila, said.
He added: "I appeal to each and everyone of us to know that we only have one country called Kenya. We must all play our individual roles in safeguarding our nationhood."
The talks began within a background of relentless international pressure, a fresh round of bloodletting stoked by the brutal murder of ODM’s Embakasi MP, Mugabe Were, in the early hours of Tuesday in Nairobi and a call on the African Union not to recognise the Kibaki Government.
Both Raila and Kibaki were stunned by the brutal murder of the MP. Raila described the death of any Kenyan as a tragedy. But when an elected MP is killed, he said, the tens of thousands who elected him, as well as their families and communities, feel that a part of them had died, too.
The Lang’ata MP said those who "executed" Were wanted violence to escalate so that under its cover, they could achieve their evil designs.
"We must not fall into the trap of assassins. We will grieve, mourn, be angry and demand that the perpetrators be brought to justice," said Raila. He said Kenyans must not resort to violence, however justified their anger and outrage.
"Violence only begets violence, as we have so tragically seen in the last month," he noted.
Annan, who earlier had told Kibaki and Raila to be prepared to take hard choices, said time was of the essence and exhorted them to act fast to stem the bloodletting.
"To the leaders, people need you and want you to take charge of affairs to stop the downward slide to chaos. You have to act with urgency," Annan said.
"Today we are gathered here to launch face-to-face negotiations that offer an opportunity for leaders to steer the country towards peace and prosperity," said Annan.
The highest executive body in the European Union — The Council — sat in Brussels on Monday and made it clear that donor relations between its 27 member states and Kenya would be put in abeyance until a sustainable and consensual political solution is found.
The EU council made its stand in a unanimous statement, which pointed out that the political impasse and violence had greatly affected donors’ engagement with Kenya and the EU-Kenya relations.
"Until a legitimate solution is agreed, the EU and its member states cannot conduct business as usual with Kenya," said part of the statement by the 27 member countries.
At the African Union (AU) Heads of State meeting in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, the disputed presidential election was listed for discussion.
ODM Secretary-General, Prof Anyang’ Nyong’o, who is at the talks, called on the 53-member political body not to recognise Kibaki as President.
But Foreign Affairs minister, Mr Moses Wetangula, said in Addis Ababa that President Kibaki would attend the meeting that kicks off in the Ethiopian capital tomorrow.
Yesterday, a delegate to the meeting said: "The AU meeting is expected to discuss Kibaki’s contested re-election as the first agenda, and has also lined up important issues. The summit originally meant to discuss Africa’s industrialisation might be overshadowed by the political crisis".
A senior envoy also confirmed that the crisis featured prominently in the AU Commission President Alpha Konare’s agenda to African leaders.
Sources disclosed that Nairobi lobbied hard to exclude the issue from the agenda, but South African diplomats pressed to have it discussed at a special summit to be convened soon.
The protagonists had early in the day named their respective dialogue teams.
PNU picked Justice minister, Ms Martha Karua, Education minister, Prof Sam Ongeri, and Mbooni MP, Mr Mutula Kilonzo.
Mr Gichira Kibara of the Justice ministry was named liaison officer, assisted by Dr Ludeki Chweya of the University of Nairobi.
On its part, ODM named party Pentagon members, Mr Musalia Mudavadi and Mr William Ruto, and career diplomat and Aldai MP, Dr Sally Kosgei, as its flagbearers.
Vice-President, Mr Kalonzo Musyoka, who unveiled the PNU team at his Jogoo House office, said the Government attached "the greatest importance to national dialogue and a quick restoration of peace and tranquility in our country".
In the meantime, violence erupted again. A student and a police reservist were among 16 people killed on a day that also witnessed the cold-blooded murder of an MP.
Most of the deaths were reported in the troubled regions of the Rift Valley including Naivasha, Eldoret, Kapsabet, Burnt Forest, Kitale and Kisumu.
They were, however, of a much lower scale than witnessed in Naivasha and Nakuru at the weekend.
The victims were killed by police, flushed from Public Service Vehicles and clubbed by rowdy youths manning illegal roadblocks, attacked by raiders or lynched by an irate public.
The reservist was killed and his firearm stolen in Kipsaina village, while the student was gunned down in Bahati village, both in Kitale East District.
In Nairobi, fighting went on in Kibera late into the night. Police said three people had been killed, but witnesses said they had counted up to seven bodies.
Near Egerton University, Njoro, police shot dead two raiders. Up to 15 houses were burnt as dusk approached.
In Eldoret, police shot two people dead, pushing to seven the number of those killed in the town and its environs between the weekend and yesterday.
Another person, a driver of a courier service company, was hacked to death in Soy when he failed to identify himself at an illegal roadblock.
In Kapsaret, a man was killed at an illegal roadblock a few hours after another passenger in a PSV vehicle was flushed out and clubbed to death.
In Cheptiret, one more person was killed at a roadblock mounted at the centre.
In Kasarani, Langas estate in Eldoret, police also shot dead one person, while four others suffered gunshot wounds when about 600 raiders struck.
The public lynched two people as an uneasy calm returned to Nyanza after a day of riots. They were killed in Nyalenda and Manyatta slums in Kisumu, where residents continued to man roadblocks.
In Kakamega, police shot dead a man on Monday night. James Otieno was killed at his workshop in Lurambi when police officers moved in to disperse protesters who had barricaded the Kakamega-Webuye road.
In Central Province, one person was shot dead in Gachororo in Juja, Thika District, where residents were evicting members of other communities.
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