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No help for Haiti: Kenya court halts deployment of police
The court decision comes despite of the approval granted by the UN Security Council for the mission led by Kenya in Haiti.
Kenya High Court Judge Chacha Mwita delivers his ruling terming the Kenya government's intention to deploy police officers to lead a U.N. approved mission to Haiti as unconstitutional, at the Milimani law courts in Nairobi, Kenya January 26, 2024. REUTERS/Monicah Mwangi
On Friday, a Kenyan court rejected the government’s proposal to send police to Haiti to lead a UN-endorsed multinational mission aimed at restoring peace and security in the Caribbean nation, which is grappling with gang violence.
Judge Enock Chacha Mwita from the High Court declared that “any decision by any state organ or state officer to deploy police officers to Haiti… contravenes the constitution and the law and is therefore unconstitutional, illegal, and invalid.” He issued an order prohibiting the deployment of police forces to Haiti or any other country.
The spokesperson for the Kenyan government, announced that the decision would be legally challenged. “While the government respects the rule of law, we have, however, decided to contest the high court’s verdict forthwith,” he stated.
This ruling coincides with the Haitian government’s plea for the immediate dispatch of a multinational force to assist its overwhelmed police in combating widespread violence.
Haiti, the poorest nation in the Western hemisphere, has been facing prolonged turmoil characterized by armed gangs seizing control of parts of the country, resulting in brutal violence. The economy and public health system are in a state of disarray.
Since the assassination of President Jovenel Moise nearly three years ago, gang-related violence has surged. Between January and September 2023 alone, Haiti witnessed 3,000 homicides and over 1,500 kidnappings for ransom, as reported by the UN. This has prompted citizens to protest, demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Ariel Henry due to perceived failure in addressing the insecurity.
In October, the United Nations Security Council approved the Kenya-led mission. President William Ruto described Kenya’s involvement as a “mission for humanity” in a nation scarred by colonialism. However, the planned deployment of 1,000 officers has faced criticism domestically, with opposition politician Ekuru Aukot filing a petition at the Nairobi High Court last year.
Last week, Haiti’s foreign minister urgently appealed for the accelerated deployment, likening the gang violence in the country to the barbarity experienced in war zones. Jean Victor Geneus stated to the UN Security Council, “The Haitian people cannot take any more. I hope this time is the last time I will speak before the deployment of a multinational force to support our security forces.”
