The Swelling Cabinet

Kenya may have faded from the Great World Consciousness in recent weeks but the crisis isn't over. The latest issue is the squabbling between the government and the opposition over the size of the future Cabinet.

It strikes me as a terribly depressing thing that the government's solution is just to increase the Cabinet from its current size of 17 to 44. The opposition is only slightly less profligate _ it advocates a Cabinet of 34 ministers. Not very creative on either side.

Of course, this only adds to the impression that Kenya's politicians are less interested in joining hands in the creation of a viable government than they are in getting their share.

Incidentally, it seems important to mention here that Nobel Peace Prize winner Wangari Maathai was tear-gassed yesterday as she attended a rally in downtown Nairobi to demand that the Cabinet be expanded to no more than 24 ministers. I stand (slightly) humbled.