In the latest twist in the Kenya election crisis saga ten front-line PNU and ODM personalities have been banned from traveling to the United States over alleged links to the post-poll violence.
With this, international pressure appeared to shift from initial subtle threats couched in diplomatic language to concrete action on a day the crisis in Kenya featured both in the US Senate and the UN Security Council and mediation talks proper started in Nairobi.
But a dark cloud hung over the talks last night when reports that UN-backed chief mediator Mr Kofi Annan’s hotel room in Nairobi had been bugged hit the World Wide Web.
"Detectives have gone there (Serena Hotel) and established that the claims are untrue," Mr Eric Kiraithe, the police spokesman told The Standard when reached on the telephone.
But an independent source said: "Annan’s security aides found the device while the talks were in session on Tuesday".
News of the bugging came just 24 hours after skilled South African negotiator Mr Cyril Ramaphosa withdrew as the intended chief negotiator when the PNU made it known that they would not trust the South African’s intervention.
On Wednesday, the US Embassy in Nairobi declined to divulge details of the 10 personalities it has lined-up for blacklisting, only saying that five were politicians and the rest prominent business people.
The 10 have already been notified, the Embassy said.
The caution also covers family members of the politicians, including those studying in the US.
US Ambassador Mr Michael Ranneberger said there was credible evidence linking the personalities to the post-election mayhem that ripped the country apart, leaving at least 1,000 people dead and close to half a million others displaced.
The Embassy said it was only waiting for the personalities to turn up with their travel papers to enforce the ban.
Ranneberger said the Embassy was also looking at information on nearly 30 other leaders believed to have funded the bloodletting.
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