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The International Criminal Court's Appeals Chamber threw out an appeal Thursday (May 24th) by four prominent Kenyans who challenged the tribunal's authority to try them over post-election killings, AFP reported.

The appeal by Deputy Prime Minister Uhuru Kenyatta, former minister William Ruto, as well as by radio host Joshua Arap Sang and former civil service head Francis Muthaura has been "unanimously rejected," the court said.

The Hague-based international war crimes court on January 23 ruled the four men should face trial over a wave of election-related killings in Kenya in 2007.

Lawyers representing the four Kenyans then filed a request to appeal the ruling, which was turned down on March 9th.

Both Kenyatta, 50, and Ruto, 45, are contenders in elections planned in Kenya for 2013.

All the defendants have voluntarily attended court hearings and they remain free in Kenya.

Three days after charges were confirmed against the four in January, Kenyatta resigned as finance minister. Muthaura also stepped down as head of public service.

They face counts including orchestrating murder, rape, forcible transfer and persecution in the aftermath of the 2007 poll, described as one of the most violent periods in Kenya's history.