(MENAFN- Saudi Press Agency) Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta received a
triumphant welcome Thursday on his return from The Hague, where he
was the first head of state to face charges of crimes against
humanity before the International Criminal Court, according to dpa.
Kenyatta's lawyers argued at a Wednesday pretrial hearing that the
case should be shelved for lack of evidence. The judges will now
consider whether they will drop the case or set a date for a trial.
The president, his wife and supporters that accompanied him to the
Dutch city were welcomed by Vice President William Ruto at Nairobi's
airport, local media reported.
Kenyatta inspected a guard of honour before being entertained by
traditional dancers and singers declaring his innocence, the Daily
Nation newspaper reported.
Both Kenyatta and Ruto face charges of organizing mass ethnic
violence after a disputed 2007 election in which the two were then on
opposite sides of the political divide.
Kenyatta, who had previously appeared before the International
Criminal Court in 2013 before he became president, faces charges of
crimes against humanity, including murder, rape and deportation.
His defence team argued the case should be dropped. 'He is entitled
to the verdict of not guilty,' lawyer Stephen Kaye said.
Prosecution lawyers accused the Kenyan government of not providing
requested evidence, such as financial records and mobile phone data,
and of intimidating potential witnesses.
Ruto, a member of the Kalenjin ethnic group, was allied in 2007 with
opposition leader Raila Odinga, a Luo. Kenyatta is a member of the
Kikuyu ethnic group.
Odinga accused Kikuyu president Mwai Kibaki, who was supported by
Kenyatta, of rigging his way back to power in those elections.
Political riots descended into ethnic killings of Kikuyu, who then
retaliated, plunging Kenya into a spiral of violence that left more
than 1,000 people dead and half a million displaced.
Kenyatta and Ruto joined forces for the 2013 elections and won by
presenting themselves as national unifiers.
Ruto's trial at the International Criminal Court has already begun,
and he has also appeared in court.
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