From Africa Recovery, Vol.16 #4 (February 2003), page 23

Annan congratulates Kenyan presidential winner

UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan has congratulated Kenya's new President Mwai Kibaki and his National Rainbow Coalition party for their success in the country's general elections on 27 December. The victory marks the first time that the Kenya African National Union (KANU) has been voted out of power since independence from Britain in 1963, and ends the 24-year rule of Mr. Daniel arap Moi. President Kibaki defeated the ruling party candidate, Mr. Uhuru Kenyatta, son of Kenya's first president, Jomo Kenyatta.

In a statement issued through his spokesman, Mr. Annan commended Kenyans "for their enthusiastic and orderly participation" in the elections and praised government authorities for conducting a well organized and credible election. Previous presidential and parliamentary elections were marred by allegations of fraud and intimidation.

Mr. Annan also commended Mr. Moi and his party for accepting the election results. "I accept the choice of the people that Kibaki will be the third president of this country," Mr. Moi said after the results were announced. "From those ashes a strong foundation will begin." Mr. Kibaki's Rainbow Coalition won more than 60 per cent of the vote compared to KANU's 30 per cent.

Born on 15 November 1931, Mr Kibaki is a former economics lecturer at Makerere University in Uganda. He previously was a vice president under Mr. Moi, as well as the country's longest serving finance minister, from 1969 to 1982. His party campaigned on promises that included providing free primary education for all and ridding the government of corruption. The International Monetary Fund had suspended loans to Kenya in 2000 after the government did not fulfil commitments on tackling corruption or privatizing state enterprises.


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