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Kenya

As the 2013 presidential election approached, many feared a repeat of the deadly violence that plagued the disputed 2007 race and left about 1,300 dead. Those fears did not play out in the tight race between top contenders Prime Minister Odinga and Uhuru Kenyatta, the richest man in the country and the son of Kenyas first president. In the March election, Kenyatta won 50.07% of the vote to Odingas 43.7%, narrowly enough to avoid a runoff. Kenyatta and his deputy president, William Ruto, were two of four men charged by the International Criminal Court in 2012 with crimes against humanity for their roles in the violence that erupted after the 2007 elections.

In Dec. 2013, the International Criminal Court case against President Uhuru Kenyatta experienced a severe blow when the prosecution revealed that they had lost two key witnesses. One witness had given false evidence and another was no longer willing to testify. Fatou Bensouda, the prosecutor, said that she needed more time to prepare new evidence. After months of delays, Kenyatta appeared in court in early October 2014 when judges held hearings on how to proceed with the case. Kenyatta is accused of obstructing the ICCs investigation into the violence. He is the first sitting head of state to be brought before the International Criminal Court in The Hague. The ICC dropped the charges against Kenyatta in December 2014, citing a lack of evidence. Bensouda accused the government of obstructing the investigation. The trial of Vice President William Ruto will continue.

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