Kenya: ICC Confirms Charges against Four Suspects

By Staff Writer

The International Criminal Court (ICC) has Monday confirmed charges to trial against four of the six Kenyan suspects accused of orchestrating violence after 2007 Presidential elections.

In a ruling read by judge Ekaterina Trendafilova at the Pre-Trial Chamber admitted, deputy prime minister Uhuru Kenyatta, MP William Ruto, radio broadcaster Joshua arap Sang and civil service boss Francis Muthaura,  

Charges against two other men, the former police chief Mohammed Hussein Ali and the suspended minister for industrialisation Henry Kosgey, were dropped because of insufficient evidence.

Uhuru Kenyatta, the country's richest citizen with a personal fortune of $500m (£321m) and also a son of independence leader Jomo Kenyatta, together with Mr Ruto, a former minister, have expressed an interest in vying for the country's presidency in elections set for December this year or March 2013 at the latest.

Two Kenyan presidential hopefuls will stand trial accused of orchestrating violence which left more than 1,200 people dead after elections in 2007, rules the international criminal court.

"The Chamber by majority decided to confirm charges against four of the six suspects. Judge Hans-Peter Kaul gave a dissenting opinion with the view that the crimes were common crimes that could be handled by the Kenyan law," Judge Trendafilova said while delivering the judgement.

"The Prosecutor established substantial grounds to believe crimes against humanity were committed. The Chamber also found that these crimes were committed were targeted to specific groups," she added.

Among the charges leveled against the six suspects were: crimes against humanity including murder, deportation, causing forcible injury, rape and persecution based on political affiliation.

The ICC said victims would have the right to seek reparations if the accused were convicted.