Annan begs for calm in Kenya after lawmaker's killing

NAIROBI, Kenya (CNN) -- Former U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan on Tuesday pleaded with Kenya's government to take "extraordinary measures" to protect civilians hours after an opposition lawmaker was killed outside his home.

Hundreds have died in fighting sparked by last month's presidential election, which opponents insist was rigged to ensure Kenyan President Mwai Kibaki's re-election.

"Kenya, which has long been a stable and peaceful country, today is in turmoil with innocent men, women and children being hounded and killed," Annan told Kenya's National Assembly before heading into talks with Kibaki and opposition leader Raila Odinga.

Annan's speech came as police and demonstrators clashed in Nairobi and hours after gunmen killed opposition lawmaker Mugabe Were in a car outside his house.

About 100 supporters also gathered in Kisumu, Kenya's third-largest city, in a show of anger over Were's killing, prompting police to fire tear gas and bullets to disperse them, the Kenya Broadcasting Corp. reported. Watch as CNN's Nic Robertson describes unrest in western Kenya's Naivasha »

The western city of Kisumu is a stronghold of the opposition Orange Democratic Movement that has accused the president of rigging the December 27 vote.

Odinga said he suspected "the foul hands of our adversaries" in the shooting death of Were, a parliament member from the Orange Democratic Movement, according to The Associated Press. See dramatic photos following Were's killing »

During his assembly address, Annan called on Kenya's leaders to stop the "downward spiral into chaos that is threatening this beautiful country."

"There is only one Kenya. We all have multiple identities, but I hope you all see yourself as Kenyans first," Annan said. "[We] must stress our common humanity and uphold respect for human rights and the dignity of others."

The United States is considering imposing sanctions against members of the Kenyan government and opposition figures involved in the recent violence in that country, senior State Department officials told CNN.

Although no decisions have been made, visa and travel bans are among the measures being considered. They do not expect the sanctions to target Kibaki or Odinga, the officials said, but rather those on both sides who are instigating the violence.

U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice voiced concern Tuesday about Kenya's violence, saying she planned to speak with Annan soon about possible solutions.

"There needs to be a political resolution of this conflict," Rice said. "The election was not one that inspired confidence in the Kenyan people and, therefore, there needs to be a political arrangement, a political solution between the major opposition candidate and the president."

Rice said that the United States supported Annan's mission and that she planned to discuss with him further measures that the U.S. and international community can take to support his efforts.

Shortly before Annan's address Tuesday, the National Assembly held a moment of silence for Were.

The killing appears not to have been politically motivated, police spokesman Eric Kiraithe said.

Nevertheless, Were's death added to the already volatile protests that began after the disputed election.

Within hours, rival ethnic gangs clashed in Nairobi's Kibera slum, near where Were was shot dead in his car, according to Reuters.com. Three deaths were reported Tuesday, opposition officials told CNN, but it was unknown if they were linked to the killing.

A Reuters witness reported seeing two corpses, with cuts on the head and neck.

Police said they used tear gas to disperse "a group of unruly youths" who "took advantage of the mourning" outside the lawmaker's house in suburban Nairobi.

"We are all mourning here," said a resident who gave only one name, Oneko.

"People are coming in to see what has happened. Then, just now, as we are standing up around here, the police come, armed, and start hitting us and throwing us into the compound and putting tear gas inside a house."

Were was waiting in his car for a gate to his house to open when gunmen opened fire early Tuesday.

Witnesses saw two men walking from the scene after the shooting, Kiraithe told CNN.

Orange Democratic Movement spokesman Tony Gachoka told Reuters.com that political foes possibly targeted Were. "We want no stone unturned in the investigation, but we suspect foul play," he said.

In a statement, the president promised a swift police response and appealed to the Kenyans to avoid drawing premature conclusions. Yet many residents said they believe it already may be too late.

"The people will see it differently. They will see it as political hatred between the two parties," said Nairobi computer consultant Tony Mwai.

"There will be twists and turns in the story. And [the violence] is only going to get worse."

Since the election, a spasm of political violence has taken on ethnic overtones as supporters of Kibaki, a member of the Kikuyu tribe, battle with followers of Odinga, from the Luo tribe.

Bloody street battles often have involved machetes. The government says 600 to 650 people have been killed, while the opposition says at least 1,000 have died. The Kenyan Red Cross Society puts the number at 863.

More than 200,000 people have been displaced in the turmoil, according to the Red Cross.

"Right now there is nothing," said tailor Margaret Njambi, who fled with her four children and took refuge in a police station in Kakamega after rioters burned her house and shop. "The house is no more. There is nothing left there for me." E-mail to a friend

CNN's Elise Labott, Saeed Ahmed, Stephanie Halasz and Zain Verjee contributed to this report.

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