NAIROBI (Reuters) - The initial public offering of shares in Kenyan mobile telecoms operator Safaricom has been over-subscribed four times, the country's finance minister said on Wednesday.

"We are very happy with the success of the Safaricom issue ... there are indications that it was oversubscribed four times," Amos Kimunya told reporters of Kenya's, and east Africa's, largest ever IPO.

The minister said he was especially pleased by interest from abroad, where foreign investors were charged a 10 percent premium on the price of five shillings per share.

"This shows there is a lot of interest by investors wanting to put money into Kenya," he said.

Kenya's disputed December 27 presidential poll led to political paralysis and fighting that killed at least 1,300 people, displaced more than 300,000, and frightened investors.

But with peace returning thanks to an agreement by the government and opposition to form a "grand coalition", the economy is returning to normal, and investors say their confidence in east Africa's largest economy is returning.

(Reporting by Hereward Holland; Writing by Andrew Cawthorne; Editing by Helen Nyambura-Mwaura, Greg Mahlich)