President, Daniel arap Moi, condemned the attacks on the United States embassies when he visited the scene of the Nairobi blast.

President Moi at the scene

"I condemn in the strongest terms such acts of terrorism perpetrated not only in Kenya but anywhere else in the world," Mr Moi said.

He said the authorities would do anything possible "to bring the perpetrators of the heinous crime to book".

UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan: "A very worrying situation"

UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan said he was shocked at the news of the bomb blasts.

"This is the kind of terrorist attack that you do not see in that part of the world," he said.

Israel said it was sending a rescue and medical team to Kenya to help in the rescue operations, following a request from the US.

The Defence Ministry said the Israeli team was experienced in evacuating wounded from wrecked buildings following the bombing of the Israeli embassy in Buenos Aires in 1992.

Russia condemned Friday's blasts as "barbaric explosions".

"We express the hope that the local authorities will take all necessary steps to find and punish the organisers and direct perpetrators of this evil act," a Foreign Ministry spokesman said.

Jesse Jackson condemns attack

The Reverend Jesse Jackson, the US envoy to Africa, said the bombers had sought maximum casualties.

"That embassy is like in the middle of what would be Time Square, may be the busiest corner and area in all of Nairobi, is where the bombing took place, so whoever did it really meant to kill and injure some people.

"This was an act of a real pathologically sick terrorist, or terrorist organisation. I hope the FBI will be successful in its pursuits."

In a letter to President Clinton, the President of France, Jacques Chirac, said: "These cowardly and ignoble acts incite unanimous reproval and demand the strongest condemnation".

The French Foreign Ministry said that the bomb explosion at the US embassy in the Tanzanian capital Dar es Salaam had also slightly damaged the nearby French embassy.