Rice may not be able to secure Kenya deal

Dar Es Salaam: US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice does not expect her visit to Nairobi on Monday to forge a deal to end Kenya's political crisis, the White House said on Sunday.

"Secretary Rice doesn't expect, I don't think, to come away
with a final deal," White House spokeswoman Dana Perino said.

"But I do think ... they are inching their ways closer and they
need a litle bit of help to get there."

President George W. Bush is sending Rice to Nairobi to help
push along mediation led by former UN chief Kofi Annan.

She is to meet with Annan, President Mwai Kibaki and opposition leader Raila Odinga, who alleges election fraud.

Meanwhile,  Kenya's foreign minister  Moses Wetangula, who is on the government's negotiating team at the talks, warned that any plan to end the country's bloody political crisis imposed by foreigners would ultimately fail.

The United States is pushing Kenya's rival politicians to
strike a power-sharing deal to end the turmoil that has
engulfed much of the country since a flawed December 27
presidential vote.

More than 1,000 people have been killed and some 600,000 forced from their homes.