War Crimes Suspect Wins Kenya Election

Uhuru Kenyatta is victor, but he faces international trial in July
By John Johnson,  Newser Staff
Posted Mar 8, 2013 6:27 PM CST
War Crimes Suspect Wins Kenya Election
Uhuru Kenyatta gestures to voters after casting his vote on March 4 in the Kenya election.   (AP Photo/Ben Curtis)

Uhuru Kenyatta has been declared the winner of Kenya's presidential election, and he appears to have avoided a runoff by the slimmest of margins, reports Reuters. He needed to get 50% of the vote, and the nation's election commission says he got 50.03%. That translates to 4,099 votes out of 12.3 million cast, reports AP. If the decision stands—it's still unclear whether opponent Raila Odinga will challenge the results—Kenyatta will simultaneously have to govern the country and work on his defense on charges of crimes against humanity. He is due to face trial in July at the International Criminal Court in the Hague, reports the Voice of Russia.

Those charges stem from violence that erupted after the last presidential election in 2007. Kenyatta is among those accused of orchestrating mass killings and rapes that left more than 1,000 people dead after the disputed election. His running mate in this year's election, William Ruto, faces similar charges at the ICC. (More Uhuru Kenyatta stories.)

Get the news faster.
Tap to install our app.
X
Install the Newser News app
in two easy steps:
1. Tap in your navigation bar.
2. Tap to Add to Home Screen.

X