Kenya: Kenyatta and Ruto could still run

This briefing examines the possibility of Uhuru Kenyatta and William Ruto running for the Kenyan presidency on 4 March 2013 despite ICC indictments for crimes against humanity. It notes that the trial start date is a critical factor, with the defence proposing March of the following year. The text highlights the ICC's stance of non-interference in Kenyan political eligibility and discusses the domestic political tensions and legal challenges surrounding the candidates' eligibility.

• Uhuru Kenyatta and William Ruto may be able to run for President in the elections scheduled for 4 March 2013 if the ICC judges agree with the Prosecutor and defence teams to start the trial in March of the following year.
• Kenyatta and Ruto, along with two others, are accused of bearing the greatest responsibility for crimes against humanity during the 2007/08 post-election violence. The ICC is expected to rule on the trial date before its summer break on 13 July.
• The ICC has stated that it will not interfere with Kenya's internal processes regarding who can run for political office and that the country's elections do not influence its decisions.
• There are varying interpretations of why the Hague Prosecutor accepted a delay in the trial date, including the need to strengthen evidence, allowing new Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda time to settle into office, or avoiding the appearance of interfering in partisan Kenyan politics.
• Domestic opposition to Kenyatta and Ruto's candidacy includes legal challenges from two civil society organisations and three voters seeking to bar them from the presidency.

APA

Institute for Security Studies (n.d.). Kenya: Kenyatta and Ruto could still run. https://issafrica.org/research/publication-archives/cpra-daily-briefing/kenya-kenyatta-and-ruto-could-still-run

Chicago

Institute for Security Studies. Kenya: Kenyatta and Ruto could still run. n.d. https://issafrica.org/research/publication-archives/cpra-daily-briefing/kenya-kenyatta-and-ruto-could-still-run.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Institute for Security Studies |title=Kenya: Kenyatta and Ruto could still run |url=https://issafrica.org/research/publication-archives/cpra-daily-briefing/kenya-kenyatta-and-ruto-could-still-run |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{instituteforsecuritystudiesndkenya, author = {{Institute for Security Studies}}, title = {{Kenya: Kenyatta and Ruto could still run}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, url = {https://issafrica.org/research/publication-archives/cpra-daily-briefing/kenya-kenyatta-and-ruto-could-still-run}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }