Violence Breaks Out During Kenyan Memorial Service

A memorial service to honor more than 600 people killed in Kenya since the disputed re-election of president Mwai Kibaki has descended into violence.

Police fired teargas at stone throwing protesters, while some demonstrators set fire to offices during the opposition led service at a football field in the capital Nairobi.

The skirmishes came as the former UN secretary general, Kofi Annan, was due to hold talks to persuade Kenya's leaders to negotiate a political settlement to the post-election crisis.

The main opposition party, the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM), has called for another protest rally tomorrow in defiance of a government ban and despite the deaths of at least 24 people in three days of unrest last week.

But ODM spokesman Salim Lone said the party would reconsider whether to hold the rally if asked to cancel it by Annan.

The opposition leader, Raila Odinga, claims victory in the presidential election was stolen from him by Kibaki, and international observers say the December 27 poll was "flawed".

Annan arrived in Nairobi last night to lead a panel that will attempt to persuade Odinga and Kibaki to compromise.

"I am confident that, in this crucial endeavor, we can count on the will, maturity, resourcefulness and judgment of the leaders," he said upon his arrival.

"We want to determine by tomorrow [Wednesday] how quickly the parties want to work with us."

Annan faces a tough task. Odinga and Kibaki have refused to meet to discuss the crisis despite intense international pressure.

Meanwhile, police in Kenya's western Rift Valley Province reported that a mob burned a man to death in his car because he could not speak his attackers' language.

Everette Wasike, the local police chief, said the attack happened in Molo, 100 miles north-west of Nairobi, just after the man dropped his children at school.