Kenyatta Sworn In As Kenyan President

Uhuru Kenyatta has officially been sworn in as Kenya’s fourth president.

The chief Registrar Of the Kenyan Courts administered the oath of office to Kenyatta witnessed by the Chief Justice Dr willy Mutunga, in Kasarani sports stadium packed with tens of thousands of Kenyans and about a dozen African leaders on Tuesday.

Kenyatta, 51, the son of Kenya’s first president, Jomo Kenyatta is facing charges of crimes against humanity for allegedly helping organize post-election ethnic violence in 2007 that killed more than 1,100 people and displaced 600,000 others. His trial is to begin in July.

Kenyatta’s deputy, William Ruto, is set to go on trial at the ICC next month, in connection with the violence. Both men have denied the charges.

The president narrowly earned enough votes to avoid a run-off in the March 4th election. Odinga challenged the results, but Kenya’s Supreme Court upheld the election.

Before the March 4 vote, the top U.S. official for Africa warned of “consequences” if Kenyatta was voted into office. European countries offered similar warnings. But the U.S. ambassador and European ambassadors were in attendance at Tuesday’s ceremony making analysts doubt wether the ICC Ruling will change anything at all.

Other African heads of state attended the ceremony Tuesday. Some Western nations sent ambassadors as they limit their contact with the new government because of pending charges at the International Criminal Court.