Kenyan Police May Head to Haiti: National Security Council Seeks Parliament’s Nod
Parliament has been petitioned by the National Security Council to authorize the deployment of Kenyan police officers to Haiti on a United Nations-backed security mission.
According to a message read in the National Assembly on Wednesday by Speaker Moses Wetangula, the Departmental Committee on Administration and Internal Security will be required to investigate the planned deployment and submit a report to the House within two weeks for consideration.
The National Security Council has already approved the proposed deployment, but Article 240 (8) of the Constitution stipulates that Parliament must authorize any deployment of national security forces abroad.
Article 240 (8) states, “The Council may, with the approval of the Parliament, (a) deploy national forces outside of Kenya for (i) regional or international peace support operations; or (ii) other support operations; and (b) approve the deployment of foreign forces in Kenya.”
“I hereby refer the memorandum to the Departmental Committee on Administration and Internal Security for consideration. The Committee is required to consider the memorandum jointly with the relevant committee of the senate and submit its report to the Houses of Parliament on or before 8th November 2023 to allow for timely disposal of this matter,” Speaker Wetangula stated.
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This is in response to a High Court order temporarily halting the deployment of Kenyan police to Haiti, pending the hearing of a petition lodged by Third-way Alliance Kenya leader Ekuru Aukot and two other petitioners.
Tuesday, Justice Chacha Mwita extended the injunction until the scheduled hearing date of November 9, 2023.
In the petition, Dr. Aukot argues that the Constitution does not foresee the deployment of the police service outside of Kenya, adding that the deployment of police officers or the forces outside of Kenya is a matter of great public importance and can only be done by the provisions of the constitution.
“As a matter of international notoriety, there is currently no elected government in Haiti. Kenya does not have an Embassy in Haiti,” reads court papers.
In addition, they argue that there was no public input before Kenya’s request, which should have come first.
“The petitioners are playing with a sensitive and serious matter of security and behaving in a manner that suggests that they are not accountable to the people of Kenya for their decisions,” they argue.
Kenya has committed 1,000 security personnel to a mission to combat decades of gang violence characterized by pervasive murders, kidnappings, and extortion.
Beginning in October, the UN Security Council authorized the deployment of a multinational security support mission commanded by Kenya to assist the overburdened Haitian police.
Kenyan Police May Head to Haiti: National Security Council Seeks Parliament’s Nod
