By George Obulutsa
NAIROBI (Reuters) - Kenyans must play their part if apower-sharing deal to end the country's worst crisis sinceindependence is to work, mediator Kofi Annan said on Saturday.
President Mwai Kibaki and opposition leader Raila Odingasigned a coalition government pact on Thursday intended tobring to a close two months of violence and political upheavalfollowing the disputed December 27 election.
Although the deal ends the immediate political crisis,politicians from both sides have now begun more detailednegotiations on how the deal will be implemented.
"There's hard, long work ahead," Annan said after meetingreligious leaders in central Nairobi.
"It will require the cooperation of all Kenyans. It isimportant that the public at large understands that they have arole to play."
The violence has cost the lives of 1,000 Kenyans and forced300,000 to flee their homes, but Annan said ordinary peoplecould make a difference to the political process.
"Maintain the pressure, maintain your interest and you willbe surprised how politicians miraculously find the courage todo the right thing," he said.
Annan is expected to hand over mediation of the talks toformer Nigerian foreign minister Oluyemi Adeniji and leaveNairobi on Sunday, sources close to the former U.N. secretarygeneral said. He is expected to return to Kenya at some stagebut no date was given.
(Writing by Giles Elgood; editing by Sami Aboudi)
(For in depth coverage on Reuters Africa Web site:http://africa.reuters.com/elections/kenya/ )
