Kenya's High Court said Friday (February 15th) it lacked the jurisdiction to judge Deputy Prime Minister Uhuru Kenyatta's eligibility to run in the presidential elections, AFP reported.

"The High Court lacks jurisdiction to deal with a question relating to the election of a president," the panel of five judges said in a statement, adding that only the Supreme Court could rule on the case.

The ruling also applies to Kenyatta's running mate in the Jubilee Alliance, former Eldoret parliamentarian William Ruto.

Both men face trial at the International Criminal Court (ICC) for alleged roles in the 2007-2008 post-election violence that killed about 1,200 people and displaced around 300,000, according to the United Nations.

Judge Mbogoli Msagha said despite the ICC charges, "every citizen has the right to vie for office ... an accused person is presumed innocent until proven guilty".