The spectre of The Hague has returned to haunt the corridors of State House as the United Opposition officially initiates a high-stakes legal manoeuvre to drag President William Ruto back to the International Criminal Court.
Confirming the United Opposition’s stand during an interview with Kameme TV on Monday, February 2, 2026, People’s Liberation Party (PLP) Leader Martha Karua has hinted that the opposition is currently working on letters to the International Criminal Court.
“The plan is still intact. We regret that we are late because the letters were to be submitted last year. The letters are still being prepared, and we shall add new evidence because we must show that the steps that William Ruto has taken are primitive,” Karua said.
On November 27, 2023, the International Criminal Court (ICC) based in The Hague announced that it had concluded its investigations in cases facing President William Ruto, who was charged with crimes against humanity in connection with the 2007 post-election violence.
Ruto was a Member of Parliament at the time and was charged alongside five other suspects. He had been charged alongside Henry Kosgey, also an MP at the time, and radio journalist Joshua Arap Sang, police boss Hussein Ali and then Head of the Civil Service Francis Muthaura. The cases against all five were dropped for lack of evidence, but Ruto’s remained active until yesterday.
Ruto, like the other suspects, had been accused of forceful displacement of populations, among other crimes against humanity, in connection with the post-election violence that claimed 1,100 lives and displaced 650,000, according to a report compiled by the late Justice Philip Waki.
The violence started after the then electoral commission chairman, the late Samuel Kivuitu, declared Kibaki the winner of the 2007 presidential election. ODM, whose presidential candidate was Raila Odinga, disputed the results.
The post-election violence ended after President Kibaki and Raila signed a peace accord and Raila became prime minister. Uhuru Kenyatta was appointed Deputy Prime Minister and Ruto a Cabinet minister in the Grand Coalition government.
The united opposition has vowed to gather fresh evidence against President Ruto, including the recent attack on churches, to revive the ICC case.
