Timeline of Events
December 27, 2007
General elections take place in Kenya.
December 30, 2007
Incumbent President Mwai Kibaki of the PNU is declared the winner of the general elections, though his ‘victory’ over opposition candidate Raila Odinga of the ODM amidst allegations of election fraud on both sides triggering outbreaks of violence.
February 5, 2008
The International Criminal Court Prosecutor says his office has begun a preliminary examination of the post-election violence in Kenya.
February 28, 2008
A mediation team, led by former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, oversees the signing of a power-sharing agreement called the National Accord and Reconciliation Act, which establishes a coalition government with Kibaki as president and Odinga as prime minister. It also set up the Commission of Inquiry on Post-Election Violence (CIPEV), which later became known as the Waki Commission after its chair, Judge Philip Waki.
October 15, 2008
The Waki Commission submits its report and recommendations to the government of Kenya; recommendations include the establishment of a special tribunal of national and international judges to investigate and prosecute perpetrators of the post-election violence. The report also states that if the tribunal is not set up within six months, information collected by the Waki Commission will be passed to the ICC, including a sealed envelope of names of those suspected to be most responsible for the violence.
February 12, 2009
The Kenyan parliament votes against the establishment of the proposed tribunal made up of Kenyan and international judges to address the post-election violence.
July 3, 2009
Three Kenyan Cabinet ministers sign an agreement with the ICC committing Kenya to establish a credible and independent tribunal to try perpetrators of post-election violence by August.
July 16, 2009
The Prosecutor is sent six boxes containing documents and supporting materials compiled by the Waki Commission during its investigations. The documentation includes a sealed envelope that contains a list of suspects identified by the Waki Commission as those most responsible for the violence.
November 9, 2009
Parliament begins debate on another constitutional amendment to form a local tribunal. To date that debate has not concluded.
November 26, 2009
ICC Prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo files a request seeking authorization from Pre-Trial Chamber II to open an investigation in relation to the crimes allegedly committed during the 2007-2008 post-election violence in Kenya.
March 31, 2010
Pre-Trial Chamber II issues its majority decision (2-1) that there is a reasonable basis to proceed with an investigation into the situation in Kenya in relation to crimes against humanity within the jurisdiction of the Court committed between June 1, 2005 and November 26, 2009.
December 15, 2010
The ICC Prosecutor requests the issuance of ‘summonses to appear’ for six people in the court’s Kenya investigation – William Samoei Ruto, Henry Kiprono Kosgey, Joshua Arap Sang (case one) and Francis Kirimi Muthaura, Uhuru Muigai Kenyatta, and Mohamed Hussein Ali (case two) – for their alleged responsibility in the commission of crimes against humanity.
March 8, 2011
Pre-Trial Chamber II issues the summonses to appear for the aforementioned six individuals, as it finds reasonable grounds to believe that they committed the crimes alleged by the Prosecutor.
March 31, 2011
Kenyan government files an application challenging the ICC’s jurisdiction over the cases.
April 7, 2011
The first three defendants (Ruto, Kosgey, and Sang) made their initial appearance before the Court in The Hague.
April 8, 2011
The second three defendants (Muthaura, Kenyatta, and Ali) made their initial appearance before the Court in The Hague.
September 1, 2011
Confirmation of charges hearing began for the first three defendants (Ruto, Kosgey, and Sang).
September 8, 2011
Confirmation of charges hearing concluded for the first three defendants.
September 21, 2011
Confirmation of charges hearing began for the second three defendants (Muthaura, Kenyatta, and Ali).
October 5, 2011
Confirmation of charges hearing concluded for the second three defendants.
January 23, 2012
Pre-Trial Chamber II confirms charges against Ruto, Sang, Muthaura, and Kenyatta. Charges against Ali and Kosgey are rejected.
January 26, 2012
Uhuru Kenyatta resigns as Finance Minister, and Francis Muthaura resigns as Head of Civil Service. Kenyatta keeps his post as Deputy Prime Minister.
December 4 , 2012
Kenyatta and William Ruto, who formerly belonged to a competing political party, form an alliance in advance of the March 2013 presidential election. Kenyatta runs as the presidential candidate with Ruto as his running mate.
March 4, 2013
The presidential election is held in Kenya.
March 11, 2013
The Office of the Prosecutor drops all charges against Francis Muthaura after a key witness recanted his statements linking Muthaura to planning the 2007-2008 post-election violence.
March 30, 2013
After receiving legal challenges to the poll results, the Supreme Court of Kenya validates the election of Kenyatta and Ruto as president and deputy president, respectively.
April 9, 2013
Kenyatta and Ruto officially take office.
May 28, 2013
The trial for Ruto and Sang will begin. The trial was initially scheduled to start April 10, 2013 but was delayed after a defense request to postpone was granted in order to give them more time to prepare.
July 9, 2013
The trial for Kenyatta will begin. The trial was initially scheduled to start April 11, 2013 but was delayed after the trial chamber ordered a postponement to consider defense requests to refer issues back to the pre-trial chamber.