Kenya's President Mwai Kibaki and Prime Minister Raila Odinga have begun a tour of the Rift Valley, the area hardest hit by post-election violence.

About 1,500 people died and 600,000 fled their homes in violence after a disputed presidential poll in December.

The two men, who recently formed a power-sharing government, are to meet some of the 140,000 people still homeless after the clashes.

Outbreaks of disease have been reported

in some of the camps for the displaced.

Bomb hits Pakistan wedding party ...
'Police' kill Kenya opposition MP ... Mr Kibaki and Mr Odinga are beginning their tour in the town of Eldoret, the scene of some of the worst violence, including the burning of a church.

Difficult resettlement

Returning people to their original homes is proving difficult given the land disputes between rival ethnic groups ignited by the political violence, say correspondents.

Prime Minister Odinga has said the new cabinet's priority would be to resettle those still living rough because of the violence.

But members of parliament for the Rift Valley have cautioned against rushing the resettlement of the displaced people.

Mr Kibaki and Mr Odinga were allies in the 2002 election but fell out afterwards when the president did not name Mr Odinga prime minister after taking office, as they had reportedly agreed.

They stood against each other in elections in December 2007 but violence erupted when Mr Kibaki was sworn in following the polls despite widespread fraud allegations.

Mr Odinga was sworn in as prime minister last week at the head of a coalition cabinet after lengthy negotiations over its makeup.

The rivals signed a deal in February which prescribed an equal share of power.

(BBC)

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