Violent protests after Kenyan election results

Kenyan police have shot dead seven people demonstrating against President Mwai Kibaki's re-election in two separate incidents in the country's western opposition strongholds.

The deaths brought the confirmed toll from poll-related violence since Thursday's ballot to 20, amid fears that suspicions of vote rigging will see Kenya face several more days of instability.

Mr Kibaki was sworn in immediately at State House as the announcement of his victory sent his supporters pouring into the streets in celebration, many beeping car horns.

The 76-year-old was sworn in by Kenyan chief justice Evans Gicheru in front of the cabinet and foreign diplomats.

Mr Kibaki urged Kenyans to put aside election 'passions' and promised a corruption-free government to forge unity in the polarised nation of 36 million.

But Kenya's opposition rejected Mr Kibaki's re-election and said it was planning its own alternative inauguration ceremony of its leader and 'people's president' Mr Odinga at Nairobi's Uhuru Park.

Protestors took to the streets of Kibera minutes after the chairman of the electoral commission announced the defeat of Mr Odinga.

A police helicopter circled Kibera while riot police already deployed around the neighbourhood fired live rounds into the air.

Mr Odinga's camp cried foul even before the official results were  announced today, accusing Mr Kibaki of stealing the election through  systematic rigging of the tallying process.

The US State Department congratulated Mr Kibaki on his re-election, but called on all sides to accept the results despite opposition allegations of ballot fraud.

Mr Odinga had led Mr Kibaki in pre-election opinion polls as well as in early media tallies, raising suspicions among opposition supporters that the vote count was rigged.

EU observers later questioned the credibility of the elections.

The head of Kenya's electoral commission declared Mr Kibaki the winner amid chaotic scenes at the main vote tallying centre.

The fresh violence follows similar incidents yesterday in Kibera, and several strongholds of Mr Odinga in western Kenya.

The Kenyan government suspended all live radio and television news reports as riots spread across the country.