Kenyan police fired teargas into a crowd of opposition leaders and their supporters who were marching on the office of the country's electoral commission to demand its disbandment ahead of next year's election.

The opposition Coalition for Reforms and Democracy (Cord) leaders Raila Odinga, Kalonzo Musyoka and Moses Wetangula failed to stage a sit-in at the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) offices in the capital Nairobi after being tear-gassed by anti-riot police.

The Opposition had resolved on Saturday to embark on the mission as one of the ways of expressing their discontentment and lack of confidence in the electoral commission.

The opposition leaders are demanding the dissolution of the IEBC, which it accuses of bias in favour of the ruling Jubilee, to pave the way for the appointment of a body that is acceptable across the political divide.

“They are yet to give an audit of the last elections that they bungled, we are not fools to go back to the same slaughterhouse. Never,” Mr Odinga said at a rally in Kamukunji on Saturday.

Anti-riot police had earlier been deployed outside the Commission's offices.

Nairobi County Police Commander Japheth Koome said Cord will not be allowed into the IEBC offices.

Police stood guard as Cord supporters blew whistles and chanted “bado mapambano” outside the building before police threw teargas canisters to disperse the rowdy crowd on University Way.

Nonetheless, operations at the IEBC went on as usual though they could not use the building's main entrances for they were sealed.

Additional reporting by Reuters.