Kenya finance minister, cabinet secretary leave posts over ICC charges on election violence The USA Times

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Thursday, May 24, 2012

Kenya finance minister, cabinet secretary leave posts over ICC charges on election violence

NAIROBI, Kenya - Kenya's finance minister and the head of the civil service have resigned their posts after the International Criminal Court said it would prosecute them over violence following disputed elections.

Government spokesman Alfred Mutua says that Uhuru Kenyatta had stepped down as finance minister, but would remain the country's deputy prime minister. Cabinet Secretary Francis Muthaura also stepped down on Thursday.

The two are among four men that the court said on Monday face charges of crimes against humanity for violence committed in the wake Kenya's 2007 presidential election. More than 1,000 people were killed and around 600,000 forced to flee their homes.

Mutua did not say in his text message if the two were stepping down because of the charges or whether it was voluntary.