Standing side-by-side at the lawns of County Hall at 6.15pm, they promised to ensure peace and stability are restored after a month of chaos sparked by the December presidential election.

The Government side and their ODM rivals had converged at County Hall to commit themselves to mediation under  former UN boss Kofi Annan and to endorse the agenda aimed at curing “the political malaise that has brought the country to its knees”.

Mr Odinga was the first to commit ODM to the talks at 5.52pm, saying: “I will leave no stone un-turned, nor fail to travel that extra mile, to ensure that His Excellency Kofi Annan’s mediation mission between PNU and ODM succeeds. This is the least I can do for our country. But this mediation process must quickly show our people that peace, justice and security are around the corner.” President Kibaki’s turn came nine minutes later when he stated that the Government was committed to the talks that would result in national healing and reconciliation.

“I wish to pledge my support and that of my entire Government to this process. I am glad that this process seeks to discuss, not just the immediate actions that must be taken to restore peace in our country, but will also address the long-term solutions to the underlying issues that have caused the problems. I remain fully committed to national reconciliation,” Mr Kibaki said.

Mr Annan had earlier urged them to move fast and solve their political differences to end the suffering of innocent children, grandmothers and distraught women caught in the violence.

National Assembly Speaker Kenneth Marende opened the session at County Hall with  similar words. He pledged the House’s support to peace saying: “Kenyans look up to you (President Kibaki and Mr Odinga); do not let them down at this hour of need.”

Mr Annan, who is leading the mediation team that is composed of former Tanzanian President Benjamin Mkapa and Mrs Graca Machel said the talks were entering a new phase. 

“The teams that you have chosen will address themselves to short term and long term solutions, but you must bear in mind that they are linked... substantial work has been done on some of them,” he said.

Mr Annan said that with determination and political will, the short term issues on his agenda — ending the violence and solving the elections dispute — could be resolved within four weeks while the long-term issues, which go into the deeper questions of unequal distribution of resources, marginalisation and land ownership could be fixed within a year.

The coming together of Mr Kibaki and Mr Odinga for the second time since last week officially launched the talks between the two teams within the parameters set by Mr Annan on Sunday.

After six days of collecting views from both sides and stakeholders, the mediators identified an end to the spiralling violence, solving the disputed Presidential election results and crafting long-term solutions to glaring inequality in the country as the cure to the present crisis.

He handed the documents containing his agenda to President Kibaki on Saturday and to Mr Odinga on Sunday evening and asked them to name teams of three negotiators each and one person who will serve as a liaison officer.

The papers bound the two sides to mediation and its outcome. PNU named Cabinet ministers Martha Karua, Sam Ongeri and Mbooni MP Mutula Kilonzo on its team with Mr Gichira Kibara and Mr Ludeki Chweya as alternate liaison officers.

ODM appointed presidential running mate Musalia Mudavadi, Pentagon member William Ruto and Aldai MP Sally Kosgei as its negotiators, with Mr Karoli Omondi as its liaison person.

The team went into its first session shortly after the meeting. They are expected to form their own schedule under the mediators’ guidance.

The session to launch the talks was delayed for more than an hour as ODM protested at the sitting arrangement putting Mr Kibaki’s seat between Mr Odinga and Mr Annan. ODM Pentagon members Mudavadi, Ruto, Najib Balala, Joseph Nyaga and Charity Ngilu led their delegation out of the meeting room in protest saying it portrayed Mr Kibaki as session chairman.  

It took 40 minutes  for the seats to be shuffled to ensure Mr Annan chaired the meeting before the ODM group returned to the meeting room.

The session which begun with prayers, marked the killing of Embakasi MP Melitus Mugabe Were with a minute’s silence and observed a further minute’s silence for hundreds of Kenyans who have died in the violence that started after the elections were announced on December 30.
President Kibaki said the violence had driven the country to the brink. 

“It is unfortunate that in some parts of the country, neighbours who have lived side-by-side peacefully for many years and have undertaken many cultural and social activities together have been incited to hate one another and view one another as enemies. I feel deeply saddened to see Kenyans confronting one another violently over issues that can be discussed and resolved peacefully through dialogue,” he said.

He urged leaders to reconcile the communities and announced that Sh700 million had been set aside to build 32 police stations in areas deeply affected by fighting.

He said he had also created a national fund for the mitigation of the effects of the inter-communal violence.

Mr Odinga said death and despair were littering the country, and it was the duty of the leaders to save the country from the spiralling violence.
“We have seen this kind of bitterness that has engulfed our nation since December 30 when the disputed results were announced. We are being tested in a way that we have never before,” he said.

Mr Odinga said although the disputed elections were a strong grievance, they did not warrant the bloodshed witnessed in the country.

On arrival in the country last week, Mr Annan said his mission was to help Kenya get out of its political quagmire. He said he had not come with a solution but would have direct talks with President Kibaki and Mr Raila Odinga.