What was the 2008 power-sharing agreement between Mwai Kibaki and Raila Odinga?

Following the disputed December 2007 presidential election in Kenya, which triggered widespread ethnic violence and instability, a power-sharing agreement was brokered on February 28, 2008, by former UN secretary-general Kofi Annan and Tanzanian president Jakaya Kikwete.123

The agreement aimed to resolve the political impasse by establishing a coalition government between Mwai Kibaki’s Party of National Unity (PNU) and Raila Odinga’s Orange Democratic Movement (ODM). Key components of the plan included:12

• Executive Structure: Mwai Kibaki remained president, while a new position of prime minister was created for Raila Odinga.124
• Cabinet Allocation: The agreement mandated the formation of a power-sharing cabinet, with positions distributed between the PNU and ODM.12
• Implementation: Although the deal was signed in February, negotiations over the specific allocation of cabinet posts continued for several weeks before the government was officially named in April 2008.2

While this agreement successfully halted the immediate post-election violence, the coalition government faced ongoing internal tensions regarding decision-making authority and the implementation of reforms.1