Kenyan Court Bars Deployment of Soldiers to Haiti

The Kenyan High Court on Tuesday,Oct. 24 extended an order blocking the government from deploying police officers to Haiti on a UN-backed mission aiming to tackle violence in the Caribbean nation.

The ruling came a day after the UN warned that security in Haiti, where violent gangs control large swathes of the country, has collapsed even further, with major crimes hitting "record highs".

Recall that the cabinet had earlier approved the deployment of 1,000 police officers as part of a multinational force.

The force's aim is to provide operational support to the Haitian National Police, including building its capacity and the  mission should be financed by contributions including that of the United States.

However , earlier this month, the country's High Court granted an interim injunction in a case brought by opposition politician Ekuru Aukot, who argued the deployment was unconstitutional  and also stated that he would sue the cabinet for contempt of court after they approved the deployment despite a court order being in place. According to Aukot, the case will resume November 9,2023.

A legal team representing parliament said MPs cannot debate the issue until the court order is lifted.

Following months of gang violence, Haiti's Prime Minister Ariel Henry had called for international help, saying his government was overwhelmed over the gang-related insecurity in his country.

More than 2,400 people were reported killed between January and mid-August of this year, according to UN statistics.