Danson Mugatana, Kenya’s Assistant Minister for Medical Service resigned Tuesday in solidarity with Martha Karua, former Minister for Justice and Constitutional Affairs, who quit the government on Monday, citing frustration by President Mwai Kibaki. In a press conference held in Nairobi he blamed the President for the failure to resettle the 350,000 internally-displaced people and slow constitutional and law reform process, insisting that President Mwai Kibaki was the main impediment to progress on institutional reforms, which are nearly a year behind schedule since the grand coalition government was formed following the disputed 2007 presidential election. According to analysts, the resignations could force the country to go to the polls earlier than the scheduled 2012. The two, reportedly, played a key role in ensuring that Kibaki retained the presidency and were largely blamed for the massive electoral malpractices that precipitated the post-election violence that claimed 1,200 lives.
