Opposition Party Formed In Kenya

Renowned fossil expert Richard Leakey, who resigned last year as head of Kenya’s wildlife agency, has announced he is joining other opposition figures to form a new party.

Leakey’s participation is bound to bring international attention to the party and draw support from fellow white Kenyans, a financially influential group that normally keeps a low political profile.

At a news conference Sunday, Leakey read a four-page statement accusing President Daniel arap Moi’s government of mismanagement and corruption.

A new political party is needed, he said, due to “government failings and the increasing frustration everywhere over the performance of the leaders of the opposition.”

Leakey, 50, was appointed in 1989 by Moi as director of the Kenya Wildlife Service, which is charged with the protection of the East African nation’s rich wildlife.

Widely credited with ending years of mismanagement and corruption in the agency, Leakey resigned in March 1994, saying a “campaign of vilification” and government-ordered changes in the service had made his job impossible.