Kenya in Crisis Day 66: The Aftermath

It has only been a couple of days since the power sharing agreement was reached and so it is too early to assess its effectiveness. Instead, let's see what is being reported in the media.Here is a story about the UN's role in Kenya.

Kofi Annan used all his negotiating skills to work out a power-sharing deal over Kenya's contested presidential election. If the former U.N. secretary-general hadn't stepped in, African Union and U.N. officials acknowledge, they wouldn't have known what to do next.

A spokesman for the top opposition leader, Raila Odinga, told The Associated Press the lack of a U.N. backup plan highlights a need to give nations more and earlier election assistance.

"The United Nations should recognize that elections in countries such as ours are always flash points of potential violence," said opposition spokesman Salim Lone, a former U.N. official. "Often the rigging begins well before election day, and to show up just before polling starts is quite inadequate."

This New York Times article states the obvious...tourism has suffered since the meltdown

Nancy Holan just had the safari of her life. She and a friend flew to Kenya from Detroit and as they cruised the wide open plains, they had the lions, zebras and elephants all to themselves.

“It was wonderful,” she said.

Not far away, Isaac Rotich, a high-end safari guide, paced an empty game lodge in freshly polished safari boots. He can spot a six-inch lizard 50 feet away, and tell you the name — in Kiswahili, English and Latin — of the plant it is sitting on. He has spent years building this career and was making $30,000 a year, a king’s ransom in these parts.

Now he is afraid of losing it all.

“We’re hurting, big time,” Mr. Rotich said

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Finally, the new leadership is attempting to be diplomatic.

Prime Minister-designate Raila Odinga of Kenya has pledged to help those affected by the political standoff over President Mwai Kibaki's election.

Odinga vowed to help bring Kenyans together after the post-election violence that left about 1,500 people dead and displaced thousands, the BBC reported Saturday.

The situation remains fluid...