U.S. and Britain concerned over Kenyan election

WASHINGTON/LONDON (Reuters) - The United States and former colonial power Britain expressed concern on Monday over the conduct of Kenya's presidential election, and urged the ruling and opposition parties to work together for a resolution.

Incumbent Mwai Kibaki has been declared the winner of the election, but accusations of vote-rigging from both main parties have triggered a frenzy of violence, much of it along ethnic lines, in which over 100 people are reported to have died.

British Prime Minister Gordon Brown spoke to Kibaki and his main rival Raila Odinga on Tuesday to express concerns about the conduct of the elections and urge them both to work for unity and reconciliation, a Downing Street spokesman said.

"All sides should exercise and work for a solution that reflects the will of the Kenyan people," he said.

British Foreign Secretary David Miliband and International Development Secretary Douglas Alexander said Britain was in touch with the European Union, the United States and a Commonwealth delegation in Nairobi to help resolve the crisis.

On Sunday, the United States congratulated Kibaki and urged Kenyans to accept the official results. But on Monday, a State Department spokesman said Washington had concerns about irregularities in reporting the results, "which should be resolved promptly through constitutional and legal remedies".

He said the United States was working with all parties to try to find a peaceful resolution.

The chief EU election monitor in Kenya has already said the vote counting lacked credibility, and four members of the electoral commission told a news conference that information received from returning officers had "cast doubt on the veracity of the figures".

(Writing by Kevin Liffey; Editing by Michael Winfrey)