Protesters burn tyres to demand exit of electoral body

Protesters in Kenyas western city of Kisumu blocked roads with burning tyres and stones on Monday to demand an electoral body that will oversee next years elections quit, a witness said.

Police and demonstrators have repeatedly clashed during protests that have been organised on an almost weekly basis since late April by the opposition, which accuses the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) of bias.

Kisumu and other towns in the western Kenya, traditionally an opposition stronghold, have seen some of the worst violence. Three people were killed in clashes in the region on May 23.

"IEBC must go," demonstrators in Kisumu shouted, while others carried a banner carrying the same slogan.

A meeting last week between President Uhuru Kenyatta and opposition leader Raila Odinga failed to defuse tensions in a nation prone to political strife. Violence after the 2007 election killed about 1,200 people.

The opposition have demanded dialogue on reforming the IEBC.

IEBC commissioners deny any bias and say they will stay on, while the government has said any reform needs to follow constitutional channels, which could involve a petition to parliament where Kenyatta's Jubilee coalition has a majority.