Washington: The United States today expressed disappointment that Kenya's President named half his Cabinet, despite protests and urged the government to open talks with the opposition.
State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said President Mwai Kibaki's action does not mean that he cannot begin to discuss with opponents ways to end a crisis that has left more than 500 people dead. Opposition leaders accuse Kibaki of stealing the presidential election.
"We're disappointed," McCormack told reporters. "That said, this is done. They need to find a way to open the channels of communication."
Political violence in some areas since the disputed December 27 presidential election had deteriorated into clashes between other tribes and Kibaki's Kikuyu, long dominant in Kenyan politics and the economy.
