EU aid commissioner visiting Kenya

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - European Union Aid Commissioner Louis Michel is in Kenya to assess the situation after last month's disputed election, his spokesman said on Saturday.

"Commissioner Michel's principal aim is to gather further information on the situation first hand by listening to all sides," spokesman John Clancy said.

Michel is to meet President Mwai Kibaki and opposition leader Raila Odinga.

About 650 people have been killed since Kibaki won a disputed December 27 election, mostly in police action against banned protests and attacks on tribes seen as backing him.

Odinga says Kibaki stole the closest-ever election in the east African nation from him. International observers say the count was so chaotic it was impossible to tell who won, and the government says the ODM also rigged votes.

The EU is reviewing its relations with Kenya, and studying which actions to take if current African mediation efforts fail.

The European Parliament said on Thursday the bloc should freeze budgetary aid to Kenya until the crisis was solved.

The wealthy bloc is one of Nairobi's top donors, providing 290 million euros (217 million pounds) between 2002 and 2007.

A further 383 million euros of EU aid to Kenya is planned for 2008-2013, a third of which is budgetary aid.

(reporting by Ingrid Melander)