Given the post-election violence in Kenya in January 2008, it is perhaps remarkable that the ‘grand coalition’ bringing together President Kibaki and PM Odinga has operated for so long without too much obvious trouble. However, that may be about to change.

On Sunday, PM Odinga suspended two ministers – William Ruto of Agriculture and Sam Ongeri of Education – from the cabinet for three months because of corruption allegations against them. However, President Kibaki has refused to accept the prime minister’s decision. The Standard of Nairobi reports President Kibaki as saying that neither the Constitution nor the National Accord and Reconciliation Act gave PM Odinga the power to suspend the ministers and that there had been no consultation on the matter.

It might be noted that Ruto is from Odinga’s ODM party, while Ongeri is from Presdent Kibaki’s party. So, this does seem to be a dispute about how much power the PM has, rather than a purely party political affair.

The Daily Nation has plenty of detail about the matter.