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Kenya election protests to resume Kenya faces three days of rallies
(about 1 hour later)
Kenya's main opposition party is resuming its calls for mass protests after last month's disputed elections. Kenya's main opposition has called three days of nationwide rallies next week to protest at the 27 December polls it says were effectively stolen.
Opposition leader Raila Odinga has told police he will hold a mass rally in Nairobi's Uhuru park next Wednesday. Defeated presidential candidate Raila Odinga and his Orange Democratic Movement plan protests from Wednesday to Friday, in 25 towns and cities.
The announcement follows the failure of efforts to mediate in the crisis by Ghana's President John Kufuor, who is the African Union chairman. They say the government has made clear it is not interested in taking part in dialogue or mediation attempts.
Violent protests over alleged election fraud have left some 600 people dead and the police have banned all rallies. Previous attempts to march through Nairobi were blocked by police.
The BBC's Karen Allen in the capital, Nairobi, says the resumption of protests is a sign of the growing frustration by the opposition Orange Democratic Movement (ODM).
Dialogue is not engaged in the streets Uhuru KenyattaLocal government minister Have Your SayDialogue is not engaged in the streets Uhuru KenyattaLocal government minister Have Your Say
Meanwhile, Electoral Commission of Kenya head Samuel Kivuitu has disowned supposedly final results from the presidential elections, published in the media on Thursday. Protesters were kept hemmed into the city's slums, unable to reach the symbolic Uhuru Park rallying-point, which Mr Odinga has chosen again as the focus for the protests on Wednesday.
He has previously called for an independent inquiry into allegations of fraud and says he cannot be sure that President Mwai Kibaki won the election. Some 600 people have died in violent unrest since the announcement of Mwai Kibaki's re-election as president at the end of December.
The results matched those Mr Kivuitu announced on 30 December, sparking violent protests and were given to the media by election officials. A mediation bid by Ghanaian President John Kufuor, who heads the African Union, has failed while Kofi Annan, the former UN secretary general, is due to make his own bid early next week.
But he said "outside forces" were behind their publication. Inquiry call
'Not interested' Samuel Kivuitu, head of the Kenyan electoral commission, has disowned presidential election results published in the media on Thursday.
"We have recognised that the government is not interested in any mediated resolution to the crisis in our country," ODM spokesman Salim Lone told the AFP news agency. href="/1/shared/spl/hi/pop_ups/08/africa_homeless_kenyans/html/1.stm" onClick="window.open('http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/spl/hi/pop_ups/08/africa_homeless_kenyans/html/1.stm', '1199968053', 'toolbar=0,scrollbars=0,location=0,statusbar=0,menubar=0,resizable=1,width=500,height=400,left=312,top=100'); return false;">Displaced Kenyans' fears about returning home href="/1/shared/spl/hi/pop_ups/08/africa_homeless_kenyans/html/1.stm" onClick="window.open('http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/spl/hi/pop_ups/08/africa_homeless_kenyans/html/1.stm', '1199968053', 'toolbar=0,scrollbars=0,location=0,statusbar=0,menubar=0,resizable=1,width=500,height=400,left=312,top=100'); return false;" >In pictures
The ODM called off a planned rally on Tuesday, saying it would give international mediation efforts a chance to succeed. The results matched those he announced on 30 December and were given to the media by election officials but Mr Kivuitu said "outside forces" were behind their publication now.
href="/1/shared/spl/hi/pop_ups/08/africa_homeless_kenyans/html/1.stm" onClick="window.open('http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/spl/hi/pop_ups/08/africa_homeless_kenyans/html/1.stm', '1199968053', 'toolbar=0,scrollbars=0,location=0,statusbar=0,menubar=0,resizable=1,width=500,height=400,left=312,top=100'); return false;">Displaced Kenyans' fears about returning home href="/1/shared/spl/hi/pop_ups/08/africa_homeless_kenyans/html/1.stm" onClick="window.open('http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/spl/hi/pop_ups/08/africa_homeless_kenyans/html/1.stm', '1199968053', 'toolbar=0,scrollbars=0,location=0,statusbar=0,menubar=0,resizable=1,width=500,height=400,left=312,top=100'); return false;" >In pictures But the government has condemned the opposition move. He has called for an independent inquiry into allegations of fraud and says he cannot be sure that Mr Kibaki won the election.
"Dialogue is not engaged in the streets," Local Government Minister Uhuru Kenyatta told reporters. The ODM has called off a planned rally on Tuesday, to allow more time for international mediation, but spokesman Salim Lone insisted the government was "not interested in any mediated resolution to the crisis".
"Dialogue suggests that people resolve their differences peacefully, over a table, not through destroying property and killing innocent Kenyans." ODM Secretary General Anyang N'yongo denied that the party's protest plans were pre-empting Mr Annan's visit.
The ODM, he said, wanted the people of Kenya to demonstrate their feelings right across Kenya, for Mr Annan to see.
A government minister condemned the opposition's plans for further action, saying "dialogue is not engaged in the streets".
"Dialogue suggests that people resolve their differences peacefully, over a table, not through destroying property and killing innocent Kenyans," Local Government Minister Uhuru Kenyatta told reporters.
Election 'over'
Top US Africa official Jendayi Frazer and four African ex-presidents have been in Kenya trying to end the crisis in what had been seen as a relative beacon of stability in East Africa.Top US Africa official Jendayi Frazer and four African ex-presidents have been in Kenya trying to end the crisis in what had been seen as a relative beacon of stability in East Africa.
Before he left, Mr Kufuor sounded upbeat, saying that former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan would lead further mediation attempts, along with a panel of eminent African personalities. Mr Odinga's Nairobi power base is among the poor of the slums
Our correspondent says Mr Annan could arrive next week. Our correspondent says Mr Annan will have more time to spend in Kenya than Mr Kufuor, who stayed for just two days.
She says he will have more time to spend in Kenya than Mr Kufuor, who stayed for just two days. She says there are hopes that such a high-profile figure may be able to make progress.
She says there are hopes that such a high-profile figure may be able to make progress, however, the two sides remain far apart.
Mr Odinga claims he was robbed of victory and insists that Mr Kibaki steps down.
'Finished'
European Union observers said they had concerns about the way the votes were added up, which could have affected the official results.European Union observers said they had concerns about the way the votes were added up, which could have affected the official results.
The violence has forced thousands of Kenyans into camps
But Mr Kibaki has sworn in most of his key ministers and says the election is "finished".But Mr Kibaki has sworn in most of his key ministers and says the election is "finished".
Minor ministerial posts have not been filled, leaving the way open for a possible government of national unity.Minor ministerial posts have not been filled, leaving the way open for a possible government of national unity.
Mr Odinga, however, has refused to join a power-sharing administration led by Mr Kibaki.Mr Odinga, however, has refused to join a power-sharing administration led by Mr Kibaki.
The opposition leader rejected an offer to meet Mr Kibaki, unless it was led by mediators - a condition rejected by the president.The opposition leader rejected an offer to meet Mr Kibaki, unless it was led by mediators - a condition rejected by the president.
As well as the deaths, some 250,000 have fled their homes, following clashes between rival political and ethnic groups. As well as the deaths, some 250,000 people have fled their homes, following clashes between rival political and ethnic groups.