Kenya court blocks police deployment to Haiti 

The judge argued that the deployment would be illegal as the National Security Council lacks the legal authority to send police outside Kenya.

He added that the council can only deploy armed forces for peacekeeping missions such as Haiti.

Last year, Kenya had volunteered to lead a multinational security force in Haiti to quell gang violence.

Haitian Prime Minister Ariel Henry last year asked the UN to urgently deploy a multinational force.

He said his government had been overwhelmed by gangs who controlled 80% of the capital, Port-au-Prince.

The UN Security Council backed Kenya’s offer to lead the force and Kenyan lawmakers went on to approve the deployment.

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Ekuru Aukot, an opposition leader who brought the case, said this was a win for Kenya and that the country could not afford to spare officers before tackling its own security challenges.

Mr Aukot added that President William Ruto was only using the deployment to prop up his international image and seek favour with Western countries like the US.

President Ruto said Kenya has an “impressive record” of participating in peace support missions around the world.

He added that the deployment would enable officers to improve and sharpen their skills and experience in providing security.

Prior to the ruling, a police officer who spoke to the BBC anonymously said that they had already received two months of intensive training.

He added that the courses varied from weapon handling, lessons on international laws and the topography of Haiti.

Are Kenya’s police ready for this kind of mission?

Many critics have cast doubt on the ability of Kenyan police to take on Haiti’s gangs.

They will need to come face-to-face with the armed gang members in unfamiliar terrain.

Nelson Koech, chairperson of parliament’s defence committee, told Citizen TV that Kenya would not be sending traffic officers but “special armed forces” and that they would be fully trained before being deployed.

It is not clear which units will be sent to Haiti but it could be the paramilitary General Service Unit (GSU), which often responds to events like violent demonstrations and terrorist attacks.

Mr Mutua also said the government had been preparing for the deployment. He did not divulge any more details, other than saying that the authorities are currently providing French lessons to some of the officers to ease communication in Haiti.

The language barrier has raised some concerns, as in Haiti people predominantly speak French and Haitian Creole, while in Kenya, the most commonly spoken languages are English and Swahili.

How effective are Kenya’s police?
Kenya’s police officers have long been criticised for human rights abuses.

Several rights organisations have expressed worries about the ability of the officers to act humanely and responsibly in Haiti.

In an open letter to the UN Security Council in August, Amnesty International said it was concerned about the plan due to the Kenyan police’s record of responding using excessive and unnecessary force.

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The organisation said it had documented more than 30 cases of Kenyan police officers killing protesters through shootings and tear-gas suffocation during various protests this year.

Amnesty has also accused the police of beating protesters as well as unlawfully arresting and detaining them.

Kenyan police have faced criticism for using excessive and unnecessary force such as assaulting protesters

Kenya’s police chief Japhet Koome described the response of his officers to recent protests as “commendable”.