Former Secretary General of the United Nations Kofi Annan’s death is of much concern and a big loss to Kenyans.
Kofi Atta Annan was born on 8 April 1938 in Kumasi, in the Ashanti region of Ghana and has died in Switzerland aged 80 years.
He was appointed as the Secretary-General on 13 December 1996 by the Security Council and later confirmed by the General Assembly.
[caption caption="Kibaki, Raila sign deal as Kofi Annan witnesses (PHOTO/COURTESY)"]
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In 2001, he was re-elected for a second term and was succeeded as Secretary-General by Ban Ki-moon on 1st January 2007 after salvaging Kenya from the worst of all-time post-election violence.
For Kenya, Annan will be remembered for having brokered the peace deal between retired President Mwai Kibaki and former Prime Minister Raila Odinga, ending the post-election turmoil in 2008.
The disputed December 27, 2007 elections marred by alleged vote-rigging cast a dark cloud in Kenya ending with the loss of numerous lives.
Without the intervention of the Kofi Annan-led delegation sent by the African Union (AU), it would have been much worse.
In the skirmishes, largely tribal clashes saw more than 1,200 Kenyans killed, thousands more injured with over 300,000 people being displaced from their homes.
The violence left around 42,000 houses torched and many businesses were looted and destroyed.
Annan is celebrated by Kenya and the international world for his role when he led the panel of eminent African Personalities in the negotiations that saved the country, helping Kibaki and Raila strike a unity deal.
[caption caption="Retired President Mwai Kibaki and former PM Raila Odinga (PHOTO/COURTESY) "]
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At the height of the post-poll chaos, on February 28, 2008, Kibaki and Raila opted to work in the Grand Coalition Government as President and Prime Minister bringing the tribal fights to an end.
The massive loss of lives saw seven individuals charged with crimes against humanity at the International Crimes Court (ICC) with President Uhuru Kenyatta and DP William Ruto being part of the suspects but were later acquitted by the court.
