ICC agent The International Criminal Court's (ICC) chief prosecutor will seek arrest warrants by the end of the year for up to six Kenyans from both sides of the election violence that killed 1,300 people in 2008.

Luis Moreno-Ocampo told Reuters during a five-day visit to Kenya that although there was evidence against many more people, he could only prosecute the two to three most responsible from both sides and would leave others for local courts.

"We investigate massive atrocities committed on a massive number of people that's normal, so we select few people to investigate, there are more people whom we think are responsible, but we select two or three. So it's not changing. We will do two cases against two or three person each case that's what we will do. Who are they will be determined by the evidence. So we select the worst incidence, we try to follow who committed them and then we defined according to the evidence who is more responsible, there are more people responsible, yes of course and we l have evidence against 20 more. Yes but we select two or three that's it," Moreno-Ocampo said.

The violence erupted after the opposition and the president's party both claimed victory in a December 2007 poll. The ICC's formal investigation began in March 2009.

The Rift Valley was the epicentre of the bloodletting and essentially pitted Kalenjin supporters of now Prime Minister Raila Odinga against Kikuyu backers of incumbent President Mwai Kibaki, who was eventually declared the winner.

Bringing those most responsible for the violence to justice quickly is seen by many Kenyans and crisis mediator Kofi Annan as key to avoiding a repeat at the next elections due in 2012 in east Africa's biggest economy. Foreign donors and local markets are also closely watching the issue.

A major fear among Kenyans is that if senior figures from only one side were targeted there would be more violence when the ICC names its chief suspects later this year.

But the prosecutor said both sides were in his sights. The security forces were responsible for hundreds of extra judicial killings and Moreno-Ocampo said some of their crimes were committed as part of those by one of the political factions.

He would not say whether Kibaki and Odinga, who are now the leaders of the fragile coalition formed after the violence, could or could not be considered suspects. He said he did not know yet who would be charged.

Moreno-Ocampo said it was not his responsibility to try and avoid further political upheaval and that elections would dictate political responsibility.

Moreno-Ocampo's most high-profile target so far is Sudanese President Omar Hassan al-Bashir, who has been charged by the ICC on seven counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity in the Darfur conflict.

The prosecutor also said that efforts need to be stepped up in the arrest of Ugandan rebel Joseph Kony, leader of the Lord's Resistance army (LRA). Kony is wanted for war crimes and crimes against humanity. The ICC has issued a warrant for Kony and other senior LRA commanders, who remain in hiding.

"It's more complicated when Joseph Kony is surrounded by militia or president Bashir head of State, that is the two huge challenges. In the case of Joseph Kony we need a special forces operations, and it's interesting, there's a group of kids in Santiago who are mobilising the U.S congress and they are going to pass a law in the next few days urging the U.S administration to arrest Joseph Kony, so that's what we need. We need a country with special forces who can go with the UN and arrest Joseph Kony," said Moreno-Ocampo.

The arrest warrant for Bashir by the ICC, set up in 2002 as the world's first permanent war crimes tribunal, was the first ever issued for a sitting head of state.

The prosecutor said the fact Bashir was re-elected in March changed nothing, saying Adolf Hitler would no doubt have won if a poll had been held in Germany in 1942.

"I think President Bashir is destined to face justice, and it's interesting he was elected, ok, but he is still responsible not just for crimes against humanity, a genocide charge is pending on him is coming, so. We are interested in who is in the picture with him. It is like who is going to an opening of Hitler. Hitler could also be re-elected.. in 42.. you make elections in Germany, Hitler will be re-elected no worry, not out," explained Moreno-Ocampo.

He added that it might now take longer to bring Bashir to justice.