Court in Kenya temporarily prohibits sending police to Haiti

Haiti.- Kenya’s highest court has issued a temporary ban on deploying the country’s security forces to other nations for two weeks, pending an investigation into the constitutionality of such actions. This decision comes in response to a case brought by a local politician, Ekuru Aukot, who challenged the deployment of Kenyan forces to other countries as unconstitutional.

Kenya had recently agreed to lead a multinational force in Haiti to combat gang violence, following a United Nations Security Council resolution. The mission was to be funded by voluntary contributions, with the United States pledging up to $200 million.

Aukot’s petition argues that the law allowing the president to deploy Kenyan forces to foreign countries contradicts the country’s constitution. The petition also criticizes President William Ruto for agreeing to lead the international peacekeeping mission while Kenya faces security challenges, including militant attacks and ethnic clashes.

High Court Judge Chacha Mwita has given the parties involved, including Ruto, the home affairs minister, and the inspector general of police, three days to respond to Aukot’s petition. The next court hearing is scheduled for October 24.

Kenyan opposition leader Raila Odinga has also criticized Kenya’s participation in the Haiti peace mission, citing the country’s security challenges.

As of the latest UN statistics, from January 1 to August 15, Haiti has seen over 2,400 deaths, more than 950 kidnappings, and 902 injuries. Kenya had yet to confirm the deployment date for the 1,000 officers it planned to send to Haiti. Ruto expressed confidence that the Kenyan-led force “would not fail the people of Haiti.”