By Duncan Miriri

NAIROBI, March 3 (Reuters) - Kenya's political rivals vowed on Monday to hasten talks to resolve longstanding disputes over land and wealth behind a post-election crisis that shattered the country's image as one of Africa's most stable democracies.

Kenyans exhausted by a wave of looting, burning and ethnic killings sparked by a disputed Dec. 27 election have welcomed a power-sharing deal signed last week to end turmoil that has driven away tourists and dampened economic prospects.

Having brokered the deal, former U.N. boss and chief mediator Kofi Annan urged Kenyans to support the agreement and hold their leaders to the promises -- including land and electoral reforms -- made to them.

Annan, who handed over day-to-day mediation to Nigeria's ex-foreign minister Oluyemi Adeniji, had said long-term issues should be resolved within a year, but political negotiators were hopeful they could speed up their work.

"As far as I am concerned we ought to finish this phase, this week," government negotiator Mutula Kilonzo told reporters after discussions chaired for the first time by Adeniji.

Opposition negotiator Musalia Mudavadi also said he did not expect the remaining phase of the talks to drag on for a year.

"We will find a way of moving faster," he added.

Parliament is due to meet on Thursday to pass a constitutional amendment to allow for a coalition government led by President Mwai Kibaki. His opposition rival, Raila Odinga, will take a newly created post of prime minister.

More than 1,000 people were killed and 300,000 left homeless in violence that erupted when Kibaki was sworn in as president. Odinga says he was robbed of victory.

The turmoil was expected to cost Kenya 260 billion shillings ($3.8 billion) in the first half of the year, according to a Feb. 28-dated report by the Kenya Association of Manufacturers.

It said 100 billion shillings were lost in January alone, compared to the government's estimate of 60 billion.

Washington, which sent Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to Nairobi to shore up Annan's mediation efforts, has given Kenya $14.7 million in aid.

In a "message of hope" published in the Daily Nation newspaper on Monday, Annan saluted Kibaki and Odinga for agreeing to share power and "in that single act of statesmanship, saved your beautiful country, which was about to self-destruct".

Despite the relief felt by most Kenyans, many are sceptical that the two men -- who fell out when Kibaki reportedly reneged on a previous agreement to create a prime minister's job for Odinga -- can overcome differences to work together.

Annan, who spent six weeks in Kenya, said he was touched that a rhino born in a game reserve was named after him.

"I am told that rhinos can live 40 or 50 years. I hope that during baby Kofi's lifespan, he will see a Kenya that only grows stronger, more unified, more prosperous and more peaceful as the years go by." (Additional reporting and writing by Katie Nguyen; Editing by Janet Lawrence)

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