Kenya's High Court has cleared the way for presidential candidate Uhuru Kenyatta to run in next month's presidential election, despite his upcoming trial for crimes against humanity.
Mr. Kenyatta faces charges at the International Criminal Court (ICC) for his alleged involvement in organizing deadly ethnic violence following Kenya's disputed 2007 election. His trial is set to begin five weeks after the March 4 election.
His running mate William Ruto, who also faces trial at the ICC, was also cleared to run by the court, which said it does not have jurisdiction over the matter. Both men deny the charges.
Recent opinion polls suggest Mr. Kenyatta, a former finance minister, is running a close second to Prime Minister Raila Odinga in the presidential vote.
The ethnic violence that erupted across Kenya in early 2008 killed more than 1,100 people and displaced more than 600,000 from their homes.
Mr. Kenyatta has said the ICC trial would not interfere with his ability to run the country as president.
Prime Minister Odinga's campaign says electing Mr. Kenyatta would damage Kenya's international reputation.