Annan visited the conflict-ridden Rift Valley province in western Kenya Saturday, describing the scene there as "heart-wrenching," Nairobi's Daily Nation reported Sunday.

"What we saw was heart-wrenching. We saw houses burning, grandmothers and children being pushed out of their homes, and people suffering everywhere," he said.

Annan said the conflict is "evolving slowly to assume a life of its own" as the violence spirals beyond initial protests of the contested Dec. 27 presidential elections.

Officials say the violence in western Kenya is escalating and government officials blame the opposition Orange Democratic Movement, whose Raila Odinga ran in the tight presidential race, with fomenting the violence.