AlHijjah 14, 1435, Oct 8, 2014, SPA -- Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta appeared before the International Criminal Court on Wednesday for pretrial hearings to face charges of organizing mass ethnic violence, with the prosecution arguing that his government had failed to provide requested evidence, according to dpa. The 52-year-old is the first head of state to come before the ICC. He has appeared at The Hague-based tribunal before, but not after he became president. A court hearing has been called on Thursday to set a date for Kenyatta's trial or to shelve the proceedings. Prosecution attorney Benjamin Gumpert said "a considerable body of material ... could have been provided, should have been provided and ... hasn't been provided." He was referring to evidence including Kenyatta's financial records. Gumpert accused the Kenyan government of obstructing justice and said Kenyatta was "constitutionally responsible" for such action as head of state. Dressed in a dark suit, Kenyatta attentively followed the proceedings. On arrival in court, he had been accompanied by more than 120 Kenyan legislators. He was also cheered by dozens of supporters wearing traditional African clothes and displaying placards demanding his "release." Deputy President William Ruto has meanwhile taken charge of the government in Nairobi. Both Kenyatta and Ruto face charges of organizing mass ethnic violence following the disputed 2007 election. The two were on opposite sides of the political divide at the time. Ruto, a member of the Kalenjin ethnic group, was allied with opposition leader Raila Odinga, a Luo. Odinga accused Kikuyu president Mwai Kibaki - supported by Kenyatta, a fellow Kikuyu - of rigging his way back to power in those elections. The political riots descended into ethnic killings of the Kikuyu, who retaliated, plunging Kenya into a spiral of violence that left more than 1,000 people dead and half a million displaced. Kenyatta and Ruto, however, joined forces for the 2013 elections, presenting themselves as national unifiers, and won. Ruto's trial at the ICC has already begun and he has appeared in court. Kenyatta told parliament on Monday that he was innocent and expressed confidence that the case would be terminated. He said he would appear in court as a private person, since he was charged before he became president and his status as head of state was not on trial.
