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 NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) - Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice ratcheted up pressure on Kenya's rival politicians to share power and put a disputed presidential election behind them Monday, holding out U.S. reconstruction aid as an incentive.
On a one-day stop, Rice was the highest-ranking U.S. official to visit since the flawed Dec. 27 ballot unleashed weeks of bloodshed. The violence has killed more than 1,000 people and tarnished the image of Kenya, a U.S. ally in the war on terrorist groups in East Africa.
"I frankly believe that the time for a political settlement was yesterday," Rice said after meetings with President Mwai Kibaki and opposition leader Raila Odinga, who says Kibaki stole the election. She also talked with former U.N. chief Kofi Annan, who is mediating peace talks.
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