20110411
reuters

NAIROBI (Reuters) - The two leading suspects in Kenya's post-election violence took a conciliatory tone on Monday when they addressed supporters at a noisy rally after returning from a court hearing in The Hague.

Six Kenyans, including top politicians, appeared before the International Criminal Court (ICC) last week to face allegations of orchestrating the bloodshed after the disputed election in 2007, in which 1,200 people were killed.

The two leading suspects, Finance Minister Uhuru Kenyatta and suspended cabinet minister William Ruto, gave the thumbs up to crowds hours after arriving from The Hague where they denied having any connection with the violence, which damaged Kenya's economy and its reputation for stability.

"I do not wish to speak with anger, but with calmness," Kenyatta, son of Kenya's first president, Jomo Kenyatta, told supporters.

"We are a free nation, it is us who will be able to solve the problems we face, no white person will help us solve them."

Before attending the ICC hearing, Kenyatta, who is also deputy prime minister, and Ruto had criss-crossed Kenya holding raucous rallies calling for their cases to be held in Kenya. They accused their political rival, Prime Minister Raila Odinga, of implicating them.

The ICC barred the suspects from making "dangerous speeches" to incite violence or they would face arrest. Kenyatta and Ruto took a conciliatory stance in their speeches at the rally, a far cry from their comments before their ICC appearance.

"We are prepared to carry this cross (Hague cases)," said Ruto. "But our consolation is that we are determined that never again shall Kenyans fight each other over politics or competition or position."