Kenyatta sworn in as president despite charges over tribal violence
Mr Kenyatta, 51, the son of Kenya’s first president, becomes the second sitting African president to face charges at the International Criminal Court over allegations he helped orchestrate the vicious tribe-on-tribe violence that marred Kenya’s 2007 presidential election.
A jubilant crowd swathed in his campaign colour of red loudly interrupted the swearing-in with rapturous cheers.
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Hide AdThe ceremony stood in stark contrast to a rushed ceremony closed to the public five years ago to swear in outgoing president Mwai Kibaki, whom political opponents accused of stealing the 2007 vote. Those suspicions set off weeks of tribal violence that killed more than 1,000 people.
It is that violence that Mr Kenyatta now faces charges for at The Hague in the Netherlands. He denies the prosecutor’s charges that he helped orchestrate the violence and has pledged to co-operate with the International Criminal Court. His trial is scheduled to begin in July. His deputy president, William Ruto, faces similar charges. His trial is set to begin in May.
Kenya is the linchpin economy for East Africa’s economy and the West’s most vital security partner. Kenyan troops are helping battle al-Shabab militants inside Somalia, and Kenya hosts a US military base near the Somali border.
Mr Kenyatta – the son of Jomo Kenyatta – beat seven other presidential candidates with 50.07 per cent of the vote. That slim win was challenged by outgoing prime minister Raila Odinga who complained of voting anomalies but the Supreme Court upheld Mr Kenyatta’s win.