(AFP) – Dec 30, 2007

WASHINGTON (AFP) — The US State Department Sunday congratulated Kenyan President Mwai Kibaki on his re-election, and called on all sides to accept the results despite opposition allegations of ballot fraud.

"We obviously congratulate the president on his election," department spokesman Rob McInturff told AFP.

"Again we would call on the people of Kenya to accept the results of the election and to move forward with the democratic process," he said.

Kibaki was sworn in Sunday less than an hour after Kenya's electoral commission announced he had defeated opposition leader Raila Odinga, who has accused Kibaki of stealing the election by rigging the tallying process.

The result's announcement triggered riots in bastions of Odinga's Orange Democratic Movement in the capital Nairobi and western Kenya.

"I think the electoral commission in Kenya and the commissioner there would be the ultimate authority, and we would look to them to investigate any claims of fraud or mismanagement," McInturff said.

"That said we would also, given that the results are out, congratulate and support the president and look forward to working with the people of Kenya in the coming years."

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