Nairobi: Former UN chief Kofi Annan said on Monday that it appears that the rival parties in Kenya are unable to reach a resolution, despite weeks of talks between the two sides.

Mr Annan urged President Mwai Kibaki and opposition leader Raila Odinga to reach a settlement after separate meetings with the pair.

The former UN secretary general met both Mr Odinga and Mr Kibaki on Monday, to urge them to reach agreement.

Afterwards he said the mediation team had "done its work - I'm now asking the party leaders to do theirs". 

The disputed re-election of President Kibaki in December  unleashed a wave of political unrest and ethnic violence which claimed  over 1,500 lives.

The problem seems to stem from the government, who is unwilling to confront or consider the reality of power-sharing.

Mr Odinga's ODM party has threatened to relaunch mass protests on Thursday if a political deal is not reached, while a lawyers' group says it wants to see a resolution by the end of the week.