The United States will continue to provide military aid to Kenya despite allegations that the army was involved in human rights abuses during the operation against the Sabaot Land Defence Force in Mount Elgon.

US ambassador to Kenya Michael Ranneberger said on Thursday that his government intended to increase its assistance.

"The Kenya army is almost a model of professionalism and is the largest contributor to peace-keeping operations worldwide," he said, noting that the soldiers' conduct during the post-election crisis was commendable.

Rights abuses

However, the US envoy said the allegations of torture and other human rights abuses should be thoroughly investigated to ensure those guilty were brought to book.

Humanitarian agencies and the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights have accused the army of torturing civilians to flush out members of the SLDF.

Speaking at his residence in Nairobi, Mr Ranneberger also welcomed the stand taken by the Government on the situation in Zimbabwe.

He said Prime Minister Raila Odinga's initial calls for the African Union to act on President Robert Mugabe were notable since they were the first by an African leader in office and any action by the AU could be attributed to Kenya's strong stand.

On the issue of direct flights to and from the US, Mr Ranneberger said the signing of the Open Skies agreement during the PM's trip was part of a two-step process and negotiations were in place for a Safe Skies agreement that would mean Kenyan airports reach the security standard set by the US.