U.S. President George Bush has backed the idea of a power-sharing agreement to end the political conflict that is gripping Kenya.
"Kenya's an issue ... that's why I'm sending Secretary Rice there to help with the Kofi Annan initiative," Bush told reporters on Saturday after arriving in the West African country of Benin.
Bush is on a tour of five countries that will also include Tanzania, Rwanda, Ghana and Liberia.
Rice will go to Kenya on Monday.
Former United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan has been working with the two sides in the dispute, one that began with the disputed Dec. 27 election.
More than 1,000 people have died and 300,000 displaced in Kenya, making this the East African country's most turbulent period since independence in 1963.
U.S. officials say Rice's visit isn't meant to upstage Annan's efforts.
However, they warned that the U.S. is prepared to sanction those who would obstruct the Kenyan peace process.
The main actors are Kenya's President Mwai Kibaki and opposition leader Raila Odinga.
Darfur
While in Rwanda on Tuesday, Bush plans to thank that country for making the largest contribution of peacekeeping troops to the UN-African Union mission there.
Bush said he "had a tough decision early on as to whether to send troops to Darfur." Ultimately, he did not.
But the U.S. die back the peacekeeping force in the troubled region of western Sudan, where about 200,000 people have died since 2003 as a result of political and ethnic conflict.
"No question, Sudan is a real difficult situation which we have labelled a genocide ... We are sanctioning some, rallying others to provide aid in the hopes there will be a robust UN force in Darfur to help relieve the suffering," Bush said.
The president also said he had raised the Darfur issue with President Hu Jintao of China, whose government is one of Sudan's main backers.
Bush's visit is intended to highlight U.S. projects such as schools, hospitals, and initiatives to combat AIDS and malaria.
With files from The Associated Press
