Kenyan Police Fire Teargas at Pro-kibaki Crowd

Police in Kenya today fired teargas at supporters of the disputed president, Mwai Kibaki, with the violence coming as Kofi Annan was due to start attempts to broker a deal to end the unrest.

In what is thought to be the first instance of its kind since the post-election violence began, police broke up a pro-Kibaki crowd.

The crowd, of around 100, had been shouting: "Lead on, Kibaki," in Nairobi's central district, Reuters reported.

Street protests have been banned since the "flawed" December 27 election which the opposition leader, Raila Odinga, and his supporters claim was stolen by Kibaki.

So far, the overwhelming majority of those who have taken to the streets have been Odinga supporters.

The protests have sparked violence that has claimed more than 600 lives, including six deaths in the Rift Valley region yesterday.

Annan, a former UN secretary general, is due to arrive later today to try to bring the two sides together.

He had been set to visit last week but postponed the trip because of "severe illness", after one of Kibaki's key ministerial allies said he had not been invited.

Despite sustained diplomatic pressure, both Kibaki and Odinga have refused to meet to discuss the crisis and a possible compromise deal.

Today, the US ambassador Michael Ranneberger repeated the international community's call for a political settlement.

"The tragedy Kenya is now suffering, and the extremely bitter polarization of Kenyan society, demands that all leaders and institutions speak in a responsible, respectful and dignified tone," he said.

The former Mozambican president, Joaquim Chissano, echoed the call, appealing to Kibaki and Odinga take the heat out of the row.

"They just need some time to cool down their nerves. I think they will talk and find solutions to their problems," he told Reuters.

However, both sides remained defiant. Yesterday, Odinga returned to his western stronghold for the first time since the election and called for a new vote.

"People have been asking me to give them guns, but I'm giving them votes," Odinga told thousands of cheering supporters in Kisumu.

"You can see how our bodies are lying there dead because they were killed by ruthless police," he added, pointing to seven bodies brought in to the stadium where the rally took place.

Odinga has called for another "peaceful protest" on Thursday, saying: "Let them bring their guns ... we will face them."

The call came amid growing unease about an alleged shoot to kill policy by Kenyan police.

Police have denied the claims, and spokesman Eric Kiraithe told AFP: "The police are doing all they can to ensure that the rule of law is respected, and is inviting all citizens to assist them."