Kenyan Judge Blocks Deployment of Police Officers to Haiti for UN-backed Mission
A judge in Kenya has made a landmark ruling, blocking the deployment of 1,000 Kenyan police officers to Haiti as part of a UN-backed multinational force. High Court judge Chacha Mwita declared that President William Ruto and the National Security Council do not have the authority to send police officers to Haiti or any other country under Kenyan law. He stated that the planned deployment, financed by the United States, is unconstitutional, illegal, and invalid.
The decision comes after the State Department pledged $100 million to support a multinational force in Haiti, following the approval of the UN Security Council. Kenya had volunteered to lead this force and had obtained the necessary approvals from its cabinet and parliament. However, Kenyan politician Ekuru Aukot challenged the deployment in court, arguing that it violated the constitution. The high court ruling sided with Aukot, stating that there is no reciprocal arrangement between Kenya and Haiti, making the deployment illegitimate.
Judge Mwita emphasized this point when delivering his ruling in Nairobi. He stated, “There’s no reciprocal arrangement between Kenya and Haiti, and there can be no legitimate deployment of police officers to Haiti.” This ruling poses a potential setback for Kenya’s peacekeeping mission in Haiti, as the country has previously supported similar initiatives by the UN and the African Union.
The Kenyan government has not yet indicated whether they will appeal the ruling or how this legal battle may complicate the deployment of the multinational force. Kenya spearheads this mission alongside Haiti’s neighbors, including Antigua and Barbuda, the Bahamas, and Jamaica.
Kenya’s UN representative, Martin Kimani, addressed the Security Council prior to the ruling, highlighting the progress made by Kenya in preparing for the Haiti mission. He mentioned that legal and administrative steps had been taken and that they were awaiting the outcome of the court ruling. Kimani has yet to react to the verdict.
Meanwhile, Haiti continues to suffer from escalating gang violence. UN data shows that gang violence rose by over 100% last year, with more than 8,000 victims documented. Haiti’s foreign minister, Jean Victor Geneus, pleaded with the UN council for a speedy deployment of the multinational force, stating, “The Haitian people have had enough of the armed gangs’ savagery. Every passing day that this long-awaited support has not yet arrived is one day too many.”
The ruling by the Kenyan judge has raised questions about the future of the multinational force in Haiti and the role Kenya will play in restoring security to the Caribbean nation. As the legal battle unfolds, it remains to be seen how this setback will be addressed and whether alternative solutions will be sought to combat the escalating violence in Haiti.