Kenyatta must attend trial – ICC

By The Independent Team

In the Hague, the International Criminal Court (ICC) has reversed a ruling that allowed Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta to attend only parts of his trial in The Hague.

Kenyatta’s trial begins in February and his lawyers argued that attending the trial would prevent him from governing the country effectively.

Judges had ruled in October that he only needed to be there for key parts of the case.

Kenyatta who is jointly charged with his deputy William Ruto denies charges of organising ethnic violence after the 2007 election in which some 1,200 people died.

Earlier this month, the UN Security Council rejected a request from African states to suspend the ICC trial of President Kenyatta and that of his deputy William Ruto, which has already begun.

In a statement, the ICC’s trial chamber said Mr Kenyatta should, “as a general rule”, be present in court during his trial.

“Any future requests to be excused from attending parts of the trial will be considered on a case-by-case basis,” the statement said.

Mr Kenyatta will become the first serving head of state to go on trial at the ICC.