The U.S. Peace Corps is evacuating 35 of its volunteers from western Kenya because of the violence that has rocked the country since the disputed December 27 presidential election.

The relief agency says the volunteers are safe, and should arrive in the main Tanzanian city of Dar es Salaam Saturday.

The Peace Corps has 144 volunteers based in Kenya, although the organization says 22 of them are currently out of the country. An agency statement says the remaining volunteers have been "consolidated in a variety of locations."

The U.S. Embassy in Nairobi is asking U.S. citizens in Kenya to remain indoors while the fighting continues, and urges them to consider leaving for their own safety.

More than 300 people have been killed in the post-election violence.

Some information for this report was provided by AFP and AP.