The Kenya Law Society has objected to the planned deployment of 1,000 police officers to Haiti, a troubled Caribbean country.
LSK President Faith Odhiambo said in a statement that the organization wants President William Ruto, Interior CS Kithure Kindiki, and Inspector General of Police Japheth Koome to execute a court order that prohibits the deployment of police officers.
“It has come to our attention that despite the court orders, the government has sanctioned the deployment. While it is reported that the CS Interior and the former Haitian Prime Minister executed a bilateral treaty purportedly authorising the intended deployment of Kenyan Police Officers, the Law Society of Kenya is compelled, in defence of the Rule of Law, to point out that the legal requirements, as interpreted by Justice C. Mwita have not been met. Therefore, any move to deploy police officers to Haiti is unconstitutional and illegal,” Odhiambo said.
This comes as the government plans to send Kenyan police to Haiti to assist in the restoration of peace in the troubled Caribbean nation.
The majority of Kenyans have expressed strong opposition to the deployment, with Thirdway Alliance Party leader Ekuru Aukot returning to court to halt it.
Aukot and Miruru Waweru filed the complaint on Thursday, claiming that the government “blatantly disregarded” a January court order that declared the deployment unconstitutional and illegal.
The lawsuit stated that the petitioners were “reliably informed” that the Kenyan deployment may take place no later than May 23, “hence the urgency of this application.”
The scheduled deployment of a first batch of Kenyan police to the Caribbean nation coincides with President William Ruto’s travel to Washington on May 23, when he will meet with US President Joe Biden.
Kenya pledged last July to deploy up to 1,000 personnel to Haiti, an offer welcomed by the United States and other nations that had ruled out putting their own forces on the ground.
