Kenya's president on Monday invited his chief rival to his official residence to discuss how to end post-election violence, just hours after the opposition called off planned protest rallies amid fears they could renew violence.

Opposition leader Raila Odinga talks to the media Monday in Nairobi.
(Sayyid Azim/Associated Press)

Opposition leader Raila Odinga said he called off the protests against the re-election of President Mwai Kibaki to give mediation a chance. The two will meet Friday at the State House for talks, according to a statement from the president's press service.

"We are now assured that the mediation process is about to start," Odinga told reporters after meeting U.S. envoy Jendayi Frazer. "We are therefore informing our supporters countrywide that there will be no public rallies [on Tuesday]."

He said Ghana President John Kufuor, chair of the African Union, was expected to arrive in Kenya to help mediate.

On Saturday, Kibaki said he was willing to form "a government of national unity" to help resolve the crisis. The following day, Odinga said he was willing to work toward that goal through a mediator.

Frazer, who has spent three days in talks with the political rivals, told the Associated Press on Monday that both sides could have been involved in vote rigging.

"Yes, there was rigging," Frazer said. "I mean there were problems with the vote-counting process … both the parties could have rigged."

Kenyans were "cheated by their political leadership and institutions," she said.

Rise in death toll

Monday's decision to cancel the rallies came shortly after the government said the death toll from 11 days of violence had reached 486. Earlier estimates said roughly 300 people had died.

As well, as many as 255,000 people have been displaced because of the violence, said officials from the Ministry of Special Programs.

A man helps unload sacks of food provided by the World Food Program in a makeshift camp in the village of Kachibora, Kenya, on Sunday.
(Ben Curtis/Associated Press)

The figures came from a special committee of humanitarian services set up by the government that toured areas most affected by the riots and protests following the Dec. 27 election.

Supporters of both Kibaki and Odinga alleged election fraud, unleashing days of violent protests across one of Africa's most stable democracies.

Canada pledges humanitarian aid

Canada has condemned the violence and pledged $1 million in humanitarian aid.

At a news conference in Ottawa, a group of politicians and activists on Monday urged the government to further help Kenya.

David Kilgour, Canada's former secretary of state for Africa, the Caribbean and Latin America, said Canada should commit the same kind of effort to Kenya as it did to Ukraine in 2004 when hundreds of Canadians went there as observers during that country's presidential election.

"Canada is a major factor in Africa — has been for a long time — and I think Africans and Kenyans, in particular, are looking at us to take a very much more active role than has been indicated so far," he said.

Tegi Obanda, an international co-ordinator with the Coalition for Constitutional Reforms-Kenya, told reporters that Kenya will never be a peaceful, democratic state unless the constitution is reformed.

"Kenya is actually going towards a failed state unless the constitution is reformed and that constitution is one which should lead to fair and free elections in one year," he said.

On Monday, 11 trucks from the United Nations World Food Programme were being escorted into western Kenya. They're carrying enough food for 38,000 people for two weeks.

Transportation of aid had been on hold because of insecure main roads and checkpoints set up by vigilantes in western Kenya, officials said. Cargo is being left on ships in Mombassa's port.

With files from the Associated Press