The chairman of Kenya's National Olympic Committee has pledged support for the country's top athletes accused of funding post-election violence.

Last month the International Crisis Group accused athletes, who are wealthy local celebrities thanks to their winnings on the international circuit, of helping finance the violence that followed President Mwai Kibaki's re-election in December.

The athletes have formed a lobby group to restore their reputation and National Olympic Committee chairman Kip Keino gave them his backing by saying they were peace-loving people who would not spill human blood.

"There was no truth whatsoever in those accusations (of athletes being involved) and we want the truth and reconciliation committee to bring the whole truth about this," Keino said.

The government is planning to set up a truth and reconciliation commission to look into the post-election violence and the root causes of the crisis, one of Kenya's worst since independence from Britain in 1963.

"The government should be defending its own, instead of accusing the people who have brought glory to this land. The runners need a forum to defend themselves and we fully support the formation of their association," added Keino, an Olympic champion in the 1,500 metres and 3,000 steeplechase.

More than 1,000 people were killed in tribal clashes in which homes were burned and villagers hacked with machetes or pierced by poisoned arrows.

Some of the worst violence occurred in the Rift Valley which has produced Kenya's best athletes, who benefit from the high altitude training when they run at sea level.

"We formed a body that will fight injustices such as accusations of funding violence which we have wrongly been accused of," former world 3,000 metres steeplechase champion Moses Kiptanui said.

He said more than 200 athletes met two weeks ago at the Kip Keino Stadium in the Rift Valley town of Eldoret to denounce the accusations.

"The body will fight for our rights and protect our young athletes against rogue managers. We also want the government to include us in peace initiatives where we can voice our concerns and defend ourselves," Kiptanui said.

Among the casualties of the unrest were two well-known athletes, 1988 Olympics 4x400 relay finalist Lucas Sang and marathon runner Wesley Ngetich.

"Following the negative publicity...our reputation, business and association with other Kenyans from different communities have suffered," said 2004 Olympic steeplechase champion Ezekiel Kemboi. "We want to remain clean."

Among those who attended the meeting two weeks ago were world marathon champion Luke Kibet, former world 5,000 champion Benjamin Limo, former world 10,000 champion Moses Tanui and former world 5,000 champion Daniel Komen.

Reuters