President Ruto Announces Fate of Haiti Mission After Court Ruling

President William Ruto has revealed a new tactic his administration will use to forge ahead with the police deployment to Haiti after a court ruling blocking the mission. 

Speaking to Reuters, an international media publication, President Ruto noted that his government has analysed the ruling and is keen to fix the issues raised by the court. 

While dismissing claims that the ruling placed an embargo on the mission, Ruto noted that the mission will continue after Haiti signs the relevant paperwork as directed by the court. 

Once the paperwork exchange is done, the Head of State made it clear that the Kenyan Police would be deployed to Haiti as early as next week.

"I think there is a misinterpretation of what the court did," he first responded to Reuters.

"So we already have a bilateral relations with Haiti. All that needs to be done now is for Haiti to make a request to Kenya and the mission will continue as soon as next week if all the paperwork is done between Kenya and Haiti on the bilateral route that has been suggested by the court," Ruto explained. 

In a ruling on Friday, January 26, Justice Chacha Mwita said that the planned deployment would be illegal since the National Security Council has no legal authority to send police officers outside Kenya.

 “A declaration is hereby issued that the National Security Council has no mandate to deploy police officers outside Kenya under article 240 (8) of the Constitution. An order is hereby issued prohibiting deployment of police officers to Haiti or any other country otherwise in compliance with part 14 that is sections 107 and 108 of the national police service act,” Justice Mwita said.

He further mentioned that the deployment is only provided to a reciprocating country which Haiti is not.

However, Ruto indicated that Kenya entered into a bilateral agreement with Haiti giving a green light for the mission. Nonetheless, he vowed to formalise the deal to bypass facing headwinds through the court.

In 2023, Kenya volunteered to lead a multinational security force in Haiti to quell gang violence. The US and other nations also pledged to help Kenya in the peace restoration mission.

Despite the court ruling, the Haiti government remained hopeful that Kenya would honour its deployment pledge.