A dissenting group within Kenya's ruling party Kanu has threatened to form its own party if open elections are not held to choose the presidential candidate.

If things turn out to be bad, the Rainbow Alliance will be a party.

Raila Odinga

The group - The Rainbow Alliance - is fronted by senior Kanu leaders opposed to President Daniel arap Moi's choice of successor.

Mr Moi - one of Africa's longest serving leaders - is due to retire as president at the general elections expected to take place later this year.

He has proposed cabinet minister Uhuru Kenyatta as candidate for Kanu - sparking bitter opposition within his own party which has held power for almost 40 years.

'Fraud'

Addressing a large crowd in central Nairobi, Rainbow Alliance leaders told their supporters to watch out for fraud when Kanu chooses its candidate next month.

"If things turn out to be bad, the Rainbow Alliance will be a party," Raila Odinga, Kanu's secretary general and one of the leaders opposing Mr Kenyatta, said.

President Moi cannot stand for re-election

Other leaders of the Rainbow Alliance are Information Minister Kalonzo Musyoka and former vice president George Saitoti - who are both seeking the KANU presidential nomination.

They are calling for a secret ballot at the nominating convention.

But President Moi and his allies say a voice vote from the 4,000 or so delegates will be sufficient.

Last Wednesday, the main opposition National Alliance of Kenya(NAK) nominated another former vice president, Mwai Kibaki, as its candidate for president.

Two general elections after Kenya returned to multiparty politics in 1991 were marred by politically motivated ethnic violence.

The opposition could not agree on a single candidate, and Mr Moi and KANU won both polls in 1992 and 1997.