Millions of livestock-dependent people in Kenya, Somalia and Ethiopia are already reeling from mass deaths of cows, goats and camels and Kibaki called on Kenyans "to avoid conflict over watering points," stressing that "everyone should have access to water unconditionally."

"Let us live peacefully," he said in remarks to a drought-ravaged Maasai community south of Nairobi where he commissioned a US-funded well. "Water must not be used as a source of conflict among communities that have co-existed peacefully since time immemorial."

The drought has put an estimated 11 million people in the Horn of Africa on the brink of starvation, according to the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation and at least 40 people, mainly children, have already died of malnutrition and related illness in northeast Kenya alone since December.

Some 2.5 million people in Kenya are expected to need food aid to survive by the end of next month and in addition to the human toll, thousands of head of cattle and other livestock have died from hunger and thirst.

The drought has raised fears of tribal clashes as the competitition for water becomes more intense. Rival tribes have fought repeatedly over water and pasture rights in Kenya, mainly in arid and semi-arid regions.

On New Year's Day, Maasai tribesmen brought emaciated livestock to the capital, demanding that they be allowed to graze on the heavily-guarded lawns at Kibaki's official State House residence and complaining that nothing was being done to ease the situation.

The government refused for security reasons but officials said Tuesday they had increased spending on water projects from 32 million dollars in 2002-2003 to 144 million dollars this year and would spend 19 million dollars in the next six months to find new sources of water.

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