NAIROBI, Oct. 3 (Xinhua) -- The United States on Friday called on the Kenyan government to speed up the implementation of recommendations of the Kriegler report, particularly the reforms in the Electoral Commission of Kenya (ECK).

    In a statement from the U.S. embassy in Nairobi, Washington insisted that the electoral commissioners have lost the confidence of the Kenyan people following the manner in which they conducted the December 2007 presidential elections and must be held accountable.

    The United States said the ECK was responsible for the electoral process and therefore bears responsibility for the way in which the whole exercise was handled.

    "The U.S. government reiterates that lack of transparency and accountability in the 2007 election vote tallying process seriously compromised the credibility of the results," the statement said.

    "The U.S. notes that Kenyans have lost confidence in the ECK Commissioners, who must now be held accountable," it said a day after Kenyan Foreign Minister Moses Wetangula accused some western ambassadors of practicing activism under the guise of conducting diplomatic business..

    Kenyans, including the Kriegler Commission, have blamed the ECK for bungling the results of last December's general elections, which left over 1,000 people dead and about 350,000 displaced.

    "It is unacceptable for an ambassador accredited to Kenya to physically walk into an office of a holder of a constitutional office and directly confront him with the aim of attempting to force his resignation," Wetangula said.

    "Such shameless blackmail, applied through open disregard of established norms of conduct of diplomats, in favour of a style and tone reminiscent of colonial mindset, is an insult to the Kenyan public."

    Pressure has been mounting for the overhaul of the ECK, with the latest calls coming from the European Commission.

    French Ambassador to Kenya Elisabeth Barbier said the public, according to the Kriegler report, had lost confidence in the electoral body and its staff, and therefore, the need for urgent reforms.

    But in a statement issued late Thursday, all the 21 members of ECK said they will not resign despite local and international pressure for them to step down. The commissioners said their fate should be decided by the president of Kenya who appointed them.

    The United States has reportedly imposed a travel ban on the commissioners. But a statement from the embassy declined to comment on the saga, saying "as a matter of policy the embassy does not discuss visa applications."

    This followed reports by a section of the press that the ECK officials have been banned from visiting the United States and some EU countries.

    "The focus now is to fully implement as quickly as possible the recommendations of the Kriegler report. The report speaks for itself and makes clear that fundamental changes, in every respect, are necessary," the statement said.

    ECK chief Samuel Kivuitu indicated that he may soon leave office due to enormous pressure that has been coming from Kenyans including senior government officials who accuse him of mismanaging the elections.

    He said he will not run the next general elections neither will he preside over the constitutional referendum expected next year.