Kenyan presidential hopefuls to face war crimes court

William Ruto

Kenyan presidential hopefuls to face war crimes court

ICC judges ruled on Monday that Uhuru Kenyatta, Kenyan finance minister and son of the country's founder president, must stand trial at the International Criminal Court for directing a militia to murder and rape after a disputed 2007 election.

They also ruled that three more Kenyans, including former minister William Ruto, must face trial along with Kenyatta for crimes against humanity during post-election violence that killed at least 1,220 people.

The decision by the Hague-based court is likely to have far-reaching consequences for the biggest economy in east Africa, a graft-prone country where powerful political elite have long been considered almost above the law.

Both Kenyatta, who was ranked Kenya's richest man by Forbes magazine and Ruto, a former higher education minister, plan to run for president in an election due by March next year at the latest and the ruling could hurt their ambitions.

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"It's a great thing in terms of the fight against impunity in the country for those who have been found to have a case to answer," anti-corruption campaigner told reporters.

"It means they have joined an exclusive small club of individuals who have had questions to answer before the entire world with regard to crimes against humanity ... Ratko Mladic, Charles Taylor ... That's not polite company at all."

"Justice has been done," said Harrisson Macharia, whose daughter was killed when a mob of machete wielding Ruto supporters herded women and children into a church and set it ablaze on New Year's Day 2008.

"We want justice for everyone who was victimised by the violence," he said. "We victims are now satisfied with the outcome. We suffered a lot, and we are now waiting for the trial."He said.

Ruto said he found the ruling strange, would appeal against it and run for president anyway. There was no immediate reaction from Kenyatta, who said on Sunday he too would still run for the presidency whatever the ICC outcome.

Some analysts said while the ICC stressed the accused were innocent until proven guilty, Kenyatta would come under pressure to quit as finance minister and a deputy prime minister and that his and Ruto's presidential campaigns could suffer.

The ruling could lead to demonstrations in Kenya, although there were no immediate outbreaks of protest in Kenyatta's constituency, nor in Ruto's Rift Valley powerbase.

REUTERS/Williams/Cokey