The International Criminal Court is now in session as the trial of Kenya’s Deputy President William Samuel Ruto and Journalist Joshua Arap Sang gets underway.
The prosecution side is led by James Stewart while Ruto’s and Arap Sang’s defence lawyers are led by David Hooper.
It is an open session before ICC prosecutor Fatua Bensouda.
Shortly before entering the Court room, Arap Sang said they were confident they will emerge victorious.
The charges against William Ruto include murder and persecution for allegedly orchestrating attacks that left more than 1,000 people dead following the 2007 disputed presidential elections.
President Uhuru Kenyatta has been indicted on similar charges and is set to appear before the court in The Hague in November.
Over 600,000 thousand people were displaced when ethnic groups loyal to leading candidates in the 2007 election torched homes and hacked rivals to death.
The three have denied accusations that they coordinated violence among their respective ethnic groups following the disputed election.
Kenya is the second African nation after Sudan to have a sitting president facing charges at the International Criminal Court.
The 18 cases currently before the ICC are all from Africa.
