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NAIROBI, Jan 17 (Reuters) - Kenya's opposition leader Raila Odinga said police shot dead seven protesters in Nairobi on Thursday and more than 1,000 people had died in unrest since President Mwai Kibaki's disputed re-election.

"Today, seven people have been killed in Kasarani constituency," Odinga told reporters. "Police are shooting innocent civilians at will ... The government has turned this country into a killing field of innocents."

Police were not immediately available to respond.

Violence has raged in east Africa's largest economy since soon after the Dec. 27 vote that Odinga says Kibaki stole.

"The number of dead is more than 1,000 and the majority of those are bullet wounds," said Odinga.

He accuses police of shooting his supporters under government orders. The government accuses him of choosing violent protests over dialouge.

"We strongly urge that our development partners condemn this slaughter in the strongest terms possible and take specific actions to deter this murderous campaign," Odinga said.

"International actions can help prevent a catastrophe in this country." (Reporting by Nick Tattersall, Writing by Andrew Cawthorne)

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