Kenyan deputy president off to Netherlands for ICC trial

Kenyan Deputy President William Ruto left the East African country on Monday for The Hague, the Netherlands ahead of the commencement of his trial for alleged crimes against humanity. Ruto, a member of parliament at the time of the post-election violence in December 2007, will be the first senior Kenyan politician to stand trial for crimes in the turmoil. His departure came after President Uhuru Kenyatta told the International Criminal Court (ICC) to vary the dates of his trial and those of his deputy. Kenyatta said they had cooperated with the world court since 2011 and would continue to do so. He also insisted that the ICC must make it easier for them to perform their national duties and that the Kenyan Constitution did not allow the two to be away at the same time. "We will work with ICC but it must understand that Kenya has a Constitution. Ruto and myself cannot therefore be away at the same time, he said during a prayer rally on Sunday. The Kenyan leader said the ICC charges are false and will be dismissed, adding that the plotters of the scheme will be named and shamed. The president pledged that three of them will successfully defend themselves. Ruto on Sunday expressed confidence they will win the cases and return to serve Kenyans who voted them into office. Ruto and radio journalist Joshua Sang's trials are set to begin on Tuesday, while President Kenyatta slated for November. The trio are not subject to arrest warrants, having cooperated with the court until now. Ruto and Kenyatta on opposite sides of the political divide in the post-election violence are accused of organizing attacks against each another's supporters. They were elected in March 2013 on a joint ticket. Kenyatta's government has repeatedly tried, since taking office in April, to seek the support of regional leaders and political bodies, including the UN Security Council and the African Union, to force the ICC to drop the cases. "The victory will not be Ruto's or Sang's or mine but Kenya's," said Kenyatta. Both Kenyatta and Ruto said the government will not collapse when he and the deputy are out of the country defending themselves against the allegations leveled against them. The ICC trials come against the backdrop of the Parliament vote last Thursday to withdraw the nation from The Hague-based court. The legislators calling for a special session to discuss Kenyan cases at The Hague-based court voted in favor of a bill to effect the move which they said will be tabled again in Parliament within 30 days.