The result of the presidential election was hotly contested, with the opposition ODM insisting it was rigged in favor of the incumbent, Mwai Kibaki. All observers indeed agreed that the voting and vote counting process was peaceful above par. But they also unanimously agreed that the tallying of especially the presidential result was heavily flawed.

ODM won 99 parliamentary seats, against Kibaki's PNU 43. The ODM's presidential candidate, Raila Odinga, won the popular vote in 6 out of eight provinces, including the capital, Nairobi, whereas Kibaki won in only two provinces, predominantly inhabited by his tribe, the Kikuyu.

The violence that followed the declaration of Kibaki as the winner is unprecedented in Kenyan independence history. Close to 1500 people were killed, and about 500,000 displaced from their homes and farms. This violence only ended after an internationally brokered peace deal seemingly assured Kenyans that there would be real power sharing between the two leaders. That is the message Kenyans got from the Kofi Annan led committee of eminent persons. Parliament even went ahead to enact a law and requisite constitutional amendments that would make such power sharing legal.

But the Kibaki administration seemingly wants to implement that accord without really sharing power with the Raila led ODM. ODM insists on equal sharing of the cabinet positions, as well as portfolio balance, which in fact is the true deal signed by the two. Kibaki and his henchmen, led by the Head of Civil Service and Cabinet Secretary, one Francis Muthaura, want nothing of that.

Some of his ministers have also reportedly refused to give up some of the key ministries, e.g. Local Government ministry, that is being demanded by ODM. They won't step down, and Kibaki is reluctant to fire them. That is the reason tension is high and rising, barely two months after the violence of January 2008 stopped.

Kenya is on edge once again. And it is the usual suspects ruining the country's already threadbare social fabric. Something drastic has to be done to knock sense into these people's heads.