Nairobi, Kenya: President Uhuru Kenyatta and his deputy William Ruto are expected to be accorded full diplomatic treatment by the Dutch Government once their trials start.
As opposed to the Pre-Trial stage, this time Uhuru and Ruto will be in the Netherlands, as a sitting Head of State and his deputy.
The trial against Ruto and radio presenter Joshua arap Sang begins on September 10, while that of President Uhuru, who is the first sitting Head of State to stand trial before the International Criminal Court (ICC), begins on November 12.
Sudanese President Omar Hassan al-Bashir, who is the first sitting Head of State to be indicted by the ICC, is on the run and has never appeared before the court.
In his first visit to The Hague after the March 4 vote, Ruto was received in the Netherlands by officials from the Dutch Government and driven to the ICC in a convoy complete with an outrider. He was also accorded security from the Royal Military Police.
Received at airport
At the Schiphol Airport, Kenya’s ambassador Makena Muchiri and his deputy George Kwanya were there to receive him. Also present at the airport was Attorney General Githu Muigai who was in the Netherlands to attend a State Parties meeting on the implementation of the Rome Statute.
The treatment accorded to Ruto conjured up memories of a man who first appeared before the judges as an ordinary MP for Eldoret North and a suspended Minister for Higher Education.
Then, Ruto would be accompanied to The Hague by a host of Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) renegades, led by current Kericho Senator Charles Keter.
The lawmakers would later converge after court sessions in the freezing cold weather to sing the National Anthem to their leader.-standardmedia.co.ke
