Rice: Compromise key in Kenya crisis

NAIROBI, Kenya (CNN) -- U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said on Monday that the issues of governance and "political compromise" are paramount in ending the political crisis in Kenya.

Speaking to reporters after meetings in efforts to reach political reconciliation, she said both sides, the ruling party and the opposition, "need to share power and share responsibility for the governing" of the East African nation, a once-peaceful and prosperous country now engulfed in civil strife that began after the disputed December 27 elections.

"This is a crisis that needs to end and needs to end soon," she said, adding that "this is not a time for personal agendas. This is a time for putting at the forefront the good of Kenya and the good of the Kenyan people."

Rice made the visit to Kenya to help resolve the dispute, which has seen street fighting across the nation between supporters and opponents of President Mwai Kibaki.

The presidential vote resulted in a win for President Kibaki, but Raila Odinga, the opposition leader of the Orange Democratic Movement, said the election was rigged and he and his supporters declined to recognize the election as valid.

Members Kibaki's Kikuyu tribe and the Luos, the tribe of opposition leader Raila Odinga, have been in the middle of the ethnic clashes that erupted after the elections, and Rice met with both leaders on Monday.

She also met with former U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan who is there mediating talks between the two groups.

"What must be foremost in the mind is that it's not about individual politicians, but about the people of Kenya," Annan said after his one-hour meeting with Rice.

She said Annan has made good progress in working with the parties to settle several "outstanding issues" and will continue to conduct negotiations and meet with mediators.

Speaking to reporters, Rice emphasized the need to resolve "the remaining issue of governance" and emphasized that "there needs to be a coalition" to put Kenya back on the democratic track.

"I was especially moved to listen to the members of civil society and the business community talk about the impatience, frankly, of the Kenyan people that this be resolved," she said.

Rice also talked about the importance of ending the violence, embarking on electoral and constitutional reform, and developming a commission to investigate the disputed elections which she said "was clearly not a good day for Kenyan democracy."

Asked about a time-frame for developing power-sharing, she said:

"I frankly believe the time for political settlement was yesterday. It's really important that this be done and done urgently," she said, emphasizing that Kenyans need to know their country is "moving forward."

She said the United States and the international community want to help move along the process toward political stability in any way it can. She said the United States is helping with humanitarian assistance and is prepared to work for reconstruction of the infrastruture and the resettlement of people, displaced by widespread violence.

"We have been good friends with Kenya and we will be good friends," she said, adding that this necessitates that Kenya "be put on a firmer footing." E-mail to a friend

CNN's David McKenzie contributed to this report

All About Kenya • Raila Odinga • Mwai Kibaki