They said three other Kenyans, including former minister William Ruto, must face trial along with Kenyatta for crimes against humanity during post-election violence that killed at least 1,220 people.

The decision yesterday by the Hague-based ICC is likely to have far-reaching consequences for the corruption-prone country where a powerful political elite has long been considered almost above the law.

Both Kenyatta, who was ranked Kenya’s richest man by Forbes magazine, and Ruto, a former higher education minister, plan to run for president in an election due by March next year, and the ruling could hurt their ambitions.

Kenyatta protested his innocence last night. “I would like to reiterate before the people of Kenya and before the entire world … that I am innocent of all the accusations that have been levelled against me,” he said in a statement on his Facebook page.

Ruto said he found the ruling strange, would appeal against it and run for president anyway.

The ruling could lead to demonstrations in Kenya, although there were no immediate outbreaks of protest in Kenyatta’s constituency, nor in Ruto’s Rift Valley powerbase.

There are two Kenyan cases at the ICC, split broadly between the ethnic Kalenjin and Kikuyu camps involved in much of the violence. Ruto is a Kalenjin and Kenyatta is a Kikuyu, Kenya’s largest ethnic group.

The ICC’s decision could backfire on another presidential contender, prime minister Raila Odinga, who is accused by Kenyatta and Ruto supporters of trying to exploit the criminal charges for his own political gain.

Kenyan radio presenter Joshua arap Sang and the head of Kenya’s civil service Francis Muthaura must also stand trial, the ICC judges ruled.

Some victims welcomed yesterday’s ruling, while others said the courts should be trying the people who carried out the attacks that drove hundreds of thousands from their homes.

“Justice has been done,” said Harrisson Macharia, whose daughter was killed when a mob of machete-wielding Ruto supporters herded women and children into a church and set it ablaze on New Year’s Day 2008.

“We want justice for everyone who was victimised by the violence,” he said. “We victims are now satisfied with the outcome. We suffered a lot, and we are now waiting for the trial.”

None of the suspects was in court for the half-hour hearing, at which presiding judge Ekaterina Trendafilova read out a summary of the decision to commit four suspects for trial on charges including murder, persecution and deportation.

The suspects will remain free in Kenya until the trials start, but Ms Trendafilova warned they could face arrest if they attempt to whip up fresh violence.

By Special correspondent