Kenyatta appears at ICC in Hague for hearing

Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta has appeared before the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague, the Netherlands, where he faces charges of crimes against humanity.

On Wednesday, a relaxed-looking Kenyatta listened intently and at times had a bemused look on his face as the prosecution spoke.

Judge Kuniko Ozaki told the 52-year-old Kenyan leader that he was in court “solely in your capacity as an accused individual.”

Kenyatta was summoned to appear at the ICC despite the prosecution admitting earlier that it did not have enough evidence to go ahead with a trial because Nairobi was not cooperating and obstructing the investigation by withholding the evidence against him.

Kenyan Attorney General Githu Muigai, who appeared before the court on Tuesday, however rejected the claim.

Kenyatta is the first serving head of state to come before the ICC. He faces five counts over his alleged role in orchestrating the post-election ethnic violence in 2007 and 2008, which left 1,200 people dead and 600,000 displaced.

The prosecution wants Kenyatta’s bank statements, tax records and telephone records that will shed light on his alleged involvement in the violence.

Kenyatta says the charges against him are politically motivated and insists that the case should be thrown out. He has also accused the ICC of being biased against African leaders.

The African Union has called upon the ICC to withdraw the case and transfer it to Kenyan courts, also accusing the court of targeting Africans.