Kenya could deploy the much needed police to Haiti soon after a court ruling that stopped the mission.
This is after Haiti’s government announced on Wednesday February 14 that it is working on an official agreement with Kenyan officials to secure the long-awaited deployment of a police force from Nairobi.
Officials from Kenya and Haiti met in the U.S. this week to set a deadline for the arrival of Kenyan forces as well as drafting a memorandum of understanding, officials said.
The Kenyan delegation was led by former Inspector General of police Joseph Boinnet who is also the deputy National Security advisor to president William Ruto.
Officials said they met at a hotel in Washington DC where the discussions were held and agreements shared ahead of planned signing.
The delay comes after the high court blocked the U.N-backed deployment on January 26.
Haitian Prime Minister Ariel Henry made a request for a security deployment in October 2022, which was only approved by the U.N. Security Council a year later.
Henry has faced widespread protests calling for his resignation as the country continues to be gripped by gang violence during his tenure.
The UN has said that 800 people have been killed, injured or kidnapped in Haiti during the month of January, representing a three fold increase to January 2023.
It is understood, as suggested by the court on the need for reciprocity, Haiti had sent a memorandum of understanding to Kenya on the need to deploy the police officers there.
Kenya’s law provides for a mechanism in which police officers can be deployed abroad if there is a reciprocal arrangement with the host country.
Justice Chacha Mwita said Kenya’s National Security Council, which is led by the president, does not have the authority to deploy regular police outside the country.
“It is not contested that there is no reciprocal arrangement between Kenya and Haiti and for that reason, there can be no deployment of police to that country,” Mwita said.
An unprecedented surge in gang violence is plaguing Haiti, with the number of victims killed, injured and kidnapped.
Some 300 gangs control an estimated 80% of the capital and accounted for 83% of last year’s killings and injuries.
Kenya plans to deploy more than 1,000 officers to Haiti to help combat gangs there.
The teams are from the Rapid Deployment Unit, Anti Stock Theft Unit, General Service Unit, and Border Patrol Unit.
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