Kenya cabinet crisis

18 Feb, 2010

The Kenyan government of national unity is in the grips of another crisis after president Mwai Kibaki of the Party of National Unity (PNU) overruled a decision by prime minister Raila Odinga of Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) to suspend two cabinet members over corruption allegations.

ODM declared a crisis in the grand coalition and is boycotting cabinet meetings until the issue is resolved.

Kibaki and Odinga are due to meet on 21 February when the prime minister returns from a five-day trip to Japan, the Daily Nation newspaper reports.

On 14 February Raila suspended agriculture minister William Ruto, a member of his own party, in connection with his alleged implication in a corruption scandal involving subsidised maize, and education minister Sam Ongeri of the Kenya African National Union (KANU), a PNU affiliate, over accusations of embezzlement of funds destined for Kenya