The British High Commissioner in Nairobi was accused today of trying to "wreck the boat" for his continued refusal to endorse the results of a disputed presidential election that has prompted six weeks of political and tribal violence.

More than 1,000 Kenyans have been killed and an estimated 600,000 displaced since the December 27 election in which President Kibaki claimed a re-election victory. The opposition, led by Raila Odinga, says the vote was rigged.

George W. Bush, the US president, announced today that he was sending his secretary of state, Condoleezza Rice, to the ravaged country to support efforts by Kofi Annan, the former United Nations secretary-general, to mediate an end to the crisis.

“I have asked Condi Rice to travel to Kenya to support the work of the former secretary general and to deliver a message directly to Kenya’s leaders,” he said in Washington ahead of a trip to Africa on Friday.

“There must be an immediate halt to violence, there must be justice for the victims of abuse, and there must be a full return to democracy."

His announcement came as Moses Wetangula, the Kenyan Foreign Minister, said his Government was ready to take action against Britain after Adam Wood, the High Commissioner, after he complained that Kenya’s Government failed to reflect the will of the Kenyan people.

“The High Commissioner is still hell bent to wreck the boat,” Mr Wetangula said in a statement.

“While we have acted with restraint, continued provocation will not be tolerated further and the government will not hesitate to take appropriate remedial measures.” He added that Kenya won its independence from Britain 44 years ago and no longer needed the “stamp of confirmation” from London.

Mr Wood has already been called in by Mr Wentangula to explain Britain’s refusal to recognise Mwai Kibaki as President after December’s election. The Government has also run a series of newspaper adverts accusing the mild mannered Mr Wood – as well as the US ambassador and other diplomats – of fuelling ethnic violence by questioning the election result.

British diplomats fear that Mr Kibaki’s supporters are trying to personalise the crisis and start a diplomatic row with Britain to deflect from an unfolding political and humanitarian emergency, much as Robert Mugabe has done in Zimbabwe.

At the same time, Britain, the US and European nations are trying to keep up pressure on the Nairobi government to seek an accommodation with the opposition led by Raila Odinga.

Talks between the two factions were adjourned today in what was seen as a blow to Kofi Annan, the former UN chief trying to mediate an end to the bloodshed.

But Mr Annan's spokesman called a press conference for 5pm on Friday to give details of an agreement which had been signed between the two sides, suggesting that some progress had been made.

In addition to dispatching Ms Rice, the US said this week it was considering barring at least eight government figures from American soil for their roles in the post-election crisis. The UK is considering following suit.

In an interview broadcast on Kenyan television on Tuesday night, Mr Wood said: “As I say, we have not yet taken any decisions, but there is a range of measures which could be possible if the talks were to falter, if they were to encounter serious difficulties and techniques like travel bans, the freezing of assets have been used in other circumstances.”

He went on to point out that international observers had reported a whole series of problems with the December election “In view of these irregularities, we do not find that the government that is presently constituted represents the democratic will of the Kenyan people,” he said.

His comments echoed remarks made previously by David Miliband, the Foreign Secretary.

Under Mr Annan's mediation, representatives from the various factions have been meeting at a safari lodge in southern Kenya, although it is not clear what progress they have made.

Mr Kibaki's lead negotiator rejected Mr Annan's suggestion that Kenya should be governed by a "grand coalition", insisting that the vote was fair.

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