[JURIST] Both sides in the case of former Kenyan minister William Ruto and journalist Joshua Arap Sang [case materials] announced on Monday that the trial will start next March before the International Criminal Court (ICC) [official website] despite the election during the same month. Ruto is considered a leading candidate in the election which will take place March 4, 2013. A specific date for the trial is not set yet but is planned to be concrete within the month. Ruto and Sang have been accused and charged with their involvement in the 2007 Kenyan post-election violence [JURIST news archive] and face three counts of murder, forcible transfer and persecution. Along with Ruto and Sang, two other individuals have been charged with having participated in the post-election violence. Deputy Prime Minister Uhuru Kenyatta and former civil service chief Francis Muthaura [case materials] are also to face trial for their roles in the violence and five counts of orchestrating murder, rape, forcible transfer and persecution in the polls’ aftermath. Ruto and Kenyatta are the two potential presidential candidates among the four facing trial before the ICC.

In May, the appeals chamber of the ICC rejected [JURIST report] the appeal challenging the court’s jurisdiction in the two cases related to the post-election violence. The charges against Ruto and Sang were confirmed [JURIST report] by the pre-trial chamber in January. In March last year, the ICC had issued summons [JURIST report] for six individuals charged with their crimes committed during the unrest.