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On Monday, Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta said that he will face charges of crimes against humanity at the International Criminal Court (ICC), thereby becoming the only sitting President to be bought up at the ICC.
However, Kenyatta, the son of Kenyan independence hero and first Kenyan president Jomo Kenyatta, said that he will first hand over power temporarily to “protect the sovereignty” of Kenya.
“Let it not be said that I am attending … as the president of Kenya. Nothing in my position or my deeds as president warrants my being in court”, he told at a special session of the Kenyan parliament, with several MPS stamping their feet in approval.
Kenyatta is due to appear at the ICC on Wednesday. The 52-year-old faces five counts over his alleged role in the post-election violence of 2007 and 2008 that caused the deaths of 1,200 people and the displacement of 600,000. He has appeared before the ICC in the past, but not since he became President in March 2013. Bitter memories from 2007 are still fresh in the minds of many – the elections in 2007 had escalated into ethnic violence, for which current Kenyan Deputy President William Ruto and Kenyatta were charged with crimes against humanity. Both of them had rejected the charges.
Kenyatta will attend a “status conference” hearing, after prosecutors had asked for an indefinite delay his office handed over documents which they believe could make their case. He said that he will take the “unprecedented” move and hand over power to his deputy, who is already on trial at the ICC. The African Union has in the past called on the ICC to transfer the cases to Kenyan courts, and accused it of targeting Africans.
“My accusers, both domestic and foreign, have painted a nefarious image of most African leaders as embodiments of corruption and impunity. My conscience is clear, has been clear and will remain forever clear”, Kenyatta said.
He added that he had “cooperated with the prosecutor to assist in establishing the truth at all material times”.