From Reuters

The International Criminal Court (ICC) on Thursday scrapped a planned February 5 start date for the trial of Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta after prosecutors asked for more time to strengthen their case.

Kenyatta is accused of orchestrating ethnic violence that swept Kenya after elections in 2007 in which about 1,200 people were killed, but the case against him has been weakened by several key prosecution witnesses withdrawing their testimony.

The case against Kenyatta and his deputy, William Ruto – who was his opponent at the time of the clashes – is seen by many Africans as part of a pattern of the ICC singling out leaders from their continent for prosecution.

Since being elected president in March, Kenyatta has rallied African allies around a lobbying effort to have the charges against him dropped or his trial deferred.

Written by Thomas Escritt | Read more at Reuters