afrol News, 22 January - The Kenyan government has got an axe to grind with diplomats over their sharp criticism of the country's controversial presidential elections, accusing them of inciting violence in the country.

Kenyan Foreign Affairs Minister, Moses Wetangula, on Monday summoned the UK High Commissioner to Kenya, Adam Wood over remarks made by a British minister that Britain does not recognize the Kibaki government.

“Our government has not recognized the government and is calling on both leaders [Raila Odinga and Kibaki] to cooperate in a process of mediation,” Meg Munn told the House of Commons in London.

Moses Wetangula told journalists that the government expressed its "displeasure and dissatisfaction" to the British government about Munn's remarks.

“We demand a comprehensive explanation from the British government over the remarks. No foreign parliament has legitimacy to engage in such comments,” he said, adding that the country's just ended general elections does not need the approval of the House of Commons.

In his response, the American Ambassador, Michael Ranneberger described the government's advert attacking diplomats as "scurrilous propaganda," arguing that condemning electoral fraud is far from inciting ethnic violence.

"It is irresponsible to say, as the advertisement does, that speaking the truth provides incitement to ethnic violence," he said in a statement.

"There is compelling evidence of serious irregularities in the vote-tallying from a wide variety of non-partisan sources."

Apart from asking evidence of electoral fraud, the advert blamed western diplomats for not calling for an inquiry into the ethnic and political killings of Kenyans.

Meanwhile, there has been yet tribal clashes in Kenya's Rift Valley where the police confirmed the killing of six people on yesterday.

International mediation, aimed at diffusing the political deadlock between the government and the opposition, has resumed in the capital Nairobi with the arrival the former UN chief Kofi Annan and Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni.

The opposition does not welcome Museveni since he has endorsed Kibaki as the winner of the disputed December elections.

President Kibaki has ruled out the opposition calls for a recount or fresh polls. ODM leader Raila Odinga said would not meet Kibaki in the absence of Annan.

By staff writer

© afrol News

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