Court Extends Orders Stopping Deployment of Kenyan Police to Haiti

By Samuel Ouma

Kenyan High Court on Tuesday extended orders blocking the government from deploying police officers to Haiti to restore calm in the Caribbean nation.

The order was issued by High Court Judge Chacha Mwita pending the hearing of a petition filed by opposition politician Ekuru Aukot and two others.

In their petition, the petitioners argued that the planned deployment is unconstitutional. They claimed that the Kenyan Constitution prohibits the deployment of the police force outside the nation, claiming it is not in the public interest.

According to the Judge, the matter will be heard in an open court session effective November 7, 2023.

Kenya pledged to send 1,000 security officers to confront the gang violence that has plagued Haiti for decades.

Kenya's Cabinet on October 13 revealed that it ratified the deployment of police officers to the Caribbean. The only thing that remains is the parliament's approval of the cabinet's resolution.

In early October, the UN Security Council authorized the deployment of a non-UN multinational force led by Kenya to assist the overburdened Haitian police.