Kenya's new parliament sought today to speed up legislation ratifying a power-sharing deal following a post-election crisis that killed more than 1,000 people.
Members of parliament proposed procedures so that two bills enshrining the new arrangement and amending the constitution could be approved within a five-day limit rather than the usual two weeks after their publication.
Speaker Kenneth Marende was expected to ratify that tomorrow, meaning the bills would probably pass early next week, analysts said.
President Mwai Kibaki and former opposition leader Raila Odinga signed a pact two weeks ago to end a crisis that also displaced 300,000 people, damaged Kenya's reputation as one of Africa's most stable nations.
Mr Odinga had accused Mr Kibaki of stealing the December 27th election through fraud, while the government accused Mr Odinga's Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) of fomenting violence.
Despite optimism over the political accord, there is growing unease among some Kenyans that leaders are now focused on how to divide top jobs rather than tackle issues of ethnicity, land distribution, poverty and corruption.
All parties had promised in their pre-election manifestoes to streamline government, but under the new power-sharing deal, the cabinet would swell to 38 members. There would also be no official opposition, which is worrying many in Kenya.
Mr Odinga (63), a former political prisoner, is expected to take the prime minister's job once it is ratified by parliament. But his ODM has reacted angrily to a government statement that Mr Kibaki (76), will retain power to appoint the prime minister.