What challenges does Kenya's new government face and will it really be possible for them to fulfil their electoral promises of reducing corruption?
Carolyn Mickelson, Oceanside

In a historic general election last month, Kenya's opposition swept the party from office which has held power for almost 40 years since independence.

Mwai Kibaki, leading a broad based opposition alliance, the National Rainbow Coalition (Narc), comfortably defeated Uhuru Kenyatta, the candidate from the ruling Kenya African National Union (Kanu).

Mr Kibaki, a former vice president, is backed by many former senior Kanu officials who defected and helped set up Narc earlier this year. They felt that Mr Kenyatta had been imposed on the party by President Daniel arap Moi who was constitutionally barred from standing for re-election after 24 years in power.

Mr Kibaki ran a campaign based on the issues of corruption and Uhuru Kenyatta's lack of political experience.

(Mr Kenyatta, 42, only entered parliament as an MP nominated by the president in October 2001.)

Kibaki's first task, having formed a new government, will be to try to turn around Kenya's struggling economy.

He has also pledged to tackle widespread patronage and corruption - which will help ensure Kenya returns to favor among international donors. (IMF has suspended aid because of concerns about corruption.)

Following the Mombasa bombing in December, he will also be keen to see a revival in the fortunes of Kenya's ailing tourism industry.

He is also keen to see a much debated new constitution in place, which would give the country a prime minister.

These are tough challenges which Kibaki faces, and no one expects to see changes overnight, but there the fair and free elections have undoubtedly produced an air of optimism in Kenya and a hope that the promised sweeping reforms will come to fruition.

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