Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta is appearing before the International Criminal Court (ICC) where he faces charges of crimes against humanity.

Although not on trial, he is the first serving head of state to come before the court in The Hague.

The charges concern his role in violence following the 2007 elections in which more than 1,000 people died.

He says the charges against him are politically motivated and insists that the case should be thrown out.

He was summoned to appear at the ICC "status conference" after the prosecution said it didn't have enough evidence to go ahead with the trial and accused the Kenyan government of obstructing the investigation.

The BBC's Anna Holligan in The Hague says there were chaotic scenes as Mr Kenyatta arrived at the ICC where a large crowd was waiting.

The ICC wants him to explain allegations that evidence against him had been withheld by the Kenyan government - a claim rejected by Kenyan Attorney-General Githu Muigai who appeared before the court on Tuesday.

A relaxed-looking Mr Kenyatta, wearing a charcoal suit and blue tie, spoke to his lawyer before the start of the conference.

ICC chief prosecutor Fatou Bensouda, who is from The Gambia, was also present.

"The case is at a critical juncture, which is why I deemed it appropriate to be here in person," she said.

In September, the court postponed the trial after prosecutors said the Kenyan government had failed to deliver key documents.

Witnesses for the prosecution have withdrawn from the case.

Personal capacity

Deputy President William Ruto is acting president while Mr Kenyatta is at The Hague.

On Monday, the president again stressed his innocence, saying his conscience was clear.

In a speech to the Kenyan parliament, Mr Kenyatta said that he was going to The Hague in a personal capacity - not as president of the country - so as not to compromise the sovereignty of Kenyans.

No special arrangements have been made at the ICC. The main spokesperson for the court said that Mr Kenyatta would not be treated differently from any other accused person.

Esther Waweru from Kenya's Human Rights Commission welcomed his arrival.

"The fact that the president is actually going to appear before the International Criminal Court tomorrow for this status conference is an indication that clearly the president does recognise that there is need for victims to actually get justice before the court," she said.

Former chief prosecutor for the ICC, Luis Moreno Ocampo, conceded that the trial "was not working well" but welcomed Mr Kenyatta's scheduled appearance as "showing African commitment to change".

Mr Kenyatta was elected in 2013, despite facing charges. Analysts said he turned the prosecution to his advantage, portraying it as foreign intervention in Kenya's domestic affairs.

Mr Kenyatta faces five charges relating to the ethnic massacres - the worst violence in Kenya since independence in 1963. Tens of thousands of people were displaced and Kenya's reputation for stability was tarnished.

Mr Kenyatta was a close ally of President Mwai Kibaki, who was declared the winner of the 2007 election. Mr Kibaki's rival, Raila Odinga, claimed the poll was marred by fraud.

The dispute took on an ethnic dimension, pitting members of the Kikuyu ethnic group of Mr Kenyatta and Mr Kibaki against other communities. Mr Kenyatta is accused of organising an ethnic Kikuyu gang, the Mungiki sect, to attack rival groups.

Vice-President Ruto also faces charges at The Hague, but he was on Mr Odinga's side during the violence. He also denies the charges.
(BBC)