Kenya’s two sides speak to you and each other

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An honorary mention to Joe from Colorado, who is visiting London and has just dropped some chocolates in. That’s the kind of commitment I’m looking for from Daily Email subscribers. Thanks Joe.

Kenya remains the story today. So many people are emailing and texting the BBC with comments about President Mwai Kibaki and his opponent Raila Odinga that today we are going to let you speak directly to the hierarchy of both their parties.

We’ve confirmed the guests and they are prepared to speak to you and to each to other.

KOIGI WA WAMWERE is Assistant Minister for Information and Communications in President Mwai Kibaki’s government.

WILLIAM RUTO is a top level member of Raila Odinga’s Orange Democratic Party

What are your primary colours?

It’s not going to make the show today because of Kenya, but we’re sure to spend plenty of time over the next few months talking about the race to the White House which begins in earnest today. We’re looking to find as many of you as we can (in the States and out) who are happy to nail your colours to one of the candidate’s mast. Tell us who you support and why.

The price of African democracy

is a topic that seems to be exercising a few columnists this morning, and quite a few politicians. David Blair writes this in today’s Telegraph and asks the question “is Africa’s democratic experiment worth the cost in blood?”.

British Foreign Secretary David Milliband is quoted in many papers looking ahead to future elections in Angola , Malawi and Ghana and arguing that the Kenyan process has to be seen to be fair.

It’s an issue we’ve looked at- and talked about- many times and it also follows this column from  Mary Dejevsky asking whether we set too much store by democracy. Do we ? I heard an interview this morning on the Today Programme featuring two former British Foreign Secretaries discussing whether promoting democracy abroad should be a foreign policy (listen again at 7.50), particularly if the democracy one promotes goes wrong.

The global economy is another brewing story – with Larry Elliott wondering in the Guardian  if the world is approaching a “perfect economic storm” ? 

On a totally different note, our thanks to WHYS friend and participant Joe Given from Colorado. He very kindly left a box of Belgian chocolates on reception for us this morning and also caused some amusement when reception phoned the office asking if “Rose Atkins” was there. Thankyou Joe, and if Rose doesn’t get in soon, they will all have gone…