Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta will have to appear at a hearing next week, after the International Criminal Court rejected his request to postpone it or appear via video link.
"The chamber, by majority, finds that the requirements of justice in this case necessitate the physical presence of the accused in court," the ICC said in a statement.
Judges at the court added that the matters to be discussed on October 8 were at a critical stage and directly involve the interest of the accused and the victims.
Kenyatta denies charges of inciting ethnic violence after the 2007 presidential elections, which left over 1,200 people dead.
Related article: ICC summons Kenyatta (20 September 2014)