Kenyan Parliament Approves Deployment of Police Officers in Haiti
The Kenyan Parliament has approved the deployment of a thousand police officers to Haiti as part of a multinational United Nations mission, despite the controversy and legal battles surrounding the initiative. The decision comes after a Kenyan court ordered a temporary blockade of the deployment in response to a demand by lawyer and opposition politician, Ekuru Aukot.
Vice president of the Kenyan National Assembly, Gladys Shollei, announced the approval of the deployment, indicating that Parliament has not received the judicial request from the High Court of Nairobi to block the deployment. The court issued the order last month, citing the Constitution of Kenya which limits the deployment of police operations within the national territory. However, the government green-lit the deployment on October 13 to fight against insecurity, leaving it to Parliament to have the final say on the matter.
The legal battle and controversy surrounding the initiative have led to opposition from several members of Parliament. Aukot expressed disappointment, accusing the parliamentarians of disobeying a court order and suggesting that the parliament has “sold its soul to the United States, which wants to clean up the disaster it has caused in Haiti.” However, President William Ruto’s ruling coalition, Kenya Kwanza (“Kenya First”, in Swahili), holds the majority in the National Assembly.
The UN-approved multinational mission in Haiti will see several Caribbean countries, including Jamaica, Barbados, and the Bahamas, participate with an undetermined number of police officers. The mission is in response to the deep crisis and extreme violence in Haiti, with armed groups controlling the capital and other parts of the country, responsible for numerous crimes including murders, rapes, and kidnappings.
The UN has clarified that the mission will not resemble a peacekeeping or interposition force but rather a mere police support force under the orders of the Haitian Police. The Haitian government itself requested the mission a year ago, and it has the support of the UN Secretary General, Antonio Guterres. The goal of the mission is to help combat the dire security situation in Haiti.