Kenya cabinet sacked after referendum defeat

Kenya's opposition has demanded early elections after President Mwai Kibaki dissolved his cabinet in response to a humiliating…

Kenya's opposition has demanded early elections after President Mwai Kibaki dissolved his cabinet in response to a humiliating referendum defeat.

"This parliament is now discredited and the president must dissolve it to pave way for the people of Kenya to elect representatives with a new mandate," the main opposition and a dissident party from the ruling coalition said.

In a political first for Kenya, Mr Kibaki sacked all his ministers and assistant ministers late last night, saying he wanted to reorganise and unite a cabinet which has not met for months and been too divided to pass much-needed reforms.

The resounding rejection of his proposed constitution in Monday's poll was interpreted as a vote of no confidence in his government, leaving Mr Kibaki no option but to clear the political decks and show he still runs the country, analysts said.

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Kenya has East Africa's largest economy and is viewed by the West as a linchpin of stability in turbulent east Africa.