Ruto
President William Ruto has announced that the Kenya will push ahead with plans to lead a multinational peace mission to Haiti despite the High Court blocking the deployment.
Speaking on Tuesday during an interview with Reuters, Ruto said the mission would start as soon as next week once paperwork between Kenya and Haiti on the bilateral route is done.
“So that mission can go ahead as soon as next week if all the paperwork is done between Kenya and Haiti on the bilateral route that has been suggested by the court,” Ruto said following an Italian-Africa summit in Rome.
The Head of State noted that the Haiti government had written to Kenya formally over the police deployment.
The High Court on Friday last week ruled that the National Security Council lacks authority to deploy police officers outside the country.
Justice Chacha Mwita also pointed out that Kenya does not have an arrangement with Haiti for police officers to be deployed.
“Article 240 does not mandate the Council to deploy police officers outside Kenya. Deployment should be as provided for in part 14 of the Act and only to a reciprocating country. It is not contested that there is no reciprocal arrangement between Kenya and Haiti and for that reason, there can be no deployment of police to that country,” Justice Mwita stated.
Kenya has committed to deploy 1000 police officers starting February 2024 after the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) approved the security mission.
The Bahamas, Antigua and Barbuda, and Jamaica subsequently said they were willing to help, with the United States pledging $200 million to get the deployment off the ground.
According to the United Nations, 4,789 people killed by gang violence in Haiti last year, an increase of 119% from 2022, while 3,000 others were kidnapped.
Also Read: ODM Lists 6 Reasons Why Kenya Should Not Deploy Police Officers To Haiti
