Kenya: President to Step Down Briefly While He Attends a Court Hearing
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Version 0 of 1. President Uhuru Kenyatta announced Monday that he would briefly step down as president while he attends a hearing on Wednesday at the International Criminal Court at The Hague. Mr. Kenyatta, left, is accused of committing crimes against humanity by instigating ethnic violence after Kenya’s 2007 presidential election, when more than 1,000 people were killed. By temporarily transferring power to his deputy president William Ruto, who is on trial himself in a separate case at the same court, Mr. Kenyatta seeks to avoid becoming known as the first sitting president to appear before the court. The court’s chief prosecutor has accused Kenyan authorities of obstruction, saying that they have caused delays in the proceedings, have refused repeated requests for information and have intimidated witnesses, causing some to refuse to testify for fear of reprisals. In his address before Parliament on Monday, Mr. Kenyatta maintained his innocence, said that the prosecutor had been admonished by the court and noted that the African Union had passed a resolution granting immunity from international tribunals for sitting presidents, The Associated Press reported. |