Analysts' views on agreement - Thurs 2/28/2008

INSTANT VIEW-Kenya rivals sign power-sharing deal

Thu Feb 28, 2008 10:51am EST

NAIROBI, Feb 28 (Reuters) - Kenyan President Mwai Kibaki and opposition leader Raila Odinga signed a power-sharing agreement on Thursday intended to end a post-election crisis that left 1,000 people dead.He are some analysts' views:

MATTHEW PEARSON, HEAD OF EQUITIES RESEARCH AFRICA, RENAISSANCE CAPITAL MANAGEMENT IN LONDON

"Uncertainty is one thing that international investors hate, so the closer you get to a resolution, the better. The question is now the magnitude of the damage done to companies and the economy. Investors will be homing in on corporate earnings for the quarter to gauge the precise impact of the political violence in the past few months. We need to get greater clarity on company earnings to see if we need to further revalue assets.

ROBERT SHAW, ECONOMIC ANALYST AND BUSINESSMAN:

"We don't have any choice. We have to make it work. We are all hopeful, but we have to be cautious."

"I'm more concerned that it becomes a concrete agreement. There needs to be an awful good amount of goodwill if it needs to work."

"We are all hopeful, and I think one has to be cautious. There are many potholes and I think we can just hope. The country has got to a stage where we really couldn't carry on like this. Let us hope that it is going to work."

"We are all concerned in terms of a more concrete agreement so that it doesn't become another MOU."

"We've still got some way to go. The country needs it like yesterday. The damage that has been inflicted is enormous.

BRITISH PRIME MINISTER GORDON BROWN:

"Kenya's leaders have reached a power-sharing agreement that represents a triumph for peace and diplomacy, and a renunciation of the violence that has scarred a country of such enormous potential. Common sense has prevailed, and the Kenyan people have the outcome for which they have hoped and prayed."

"I applaud the courage that Kenya's leaders have shown in taking the tough decisions necessary to put Kenya back on the path to the prosperity, democracy and stability which it is so richly deserves."

"The hard work must continue. Kenyans need help to resettle and rebuild. Real leadership, patience and tolerance is necessary to ensure that the agreement sticks."

KENYAN COLUMNIST MACHARIA GAITHO:

"The really hard part begins now because this has to go to parliament. I think both sides will really have to show good faith and whip their MPs into line to make sure that whatever is proposed in parliament passes without a hitch."

MAINA KIAI, HEAD OF KENYA NATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION- A GOVERNMENT FUNDED BODY:

"This is the step forward Kenya needed. We were hoping it would be a transitional government leading towards elections and longer term review of the constitution, and of the key structures and institutions," he said.

"A major challenge will be to see whether the MPs themselves can put aside their own personal ambitions for the good of the country. Not all MPs will be accommodated in the cabinet. The cabinet will have to be leaner and should not contain hardliners."

"It is too early to talk about a new Kenya."

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