High Court Postpones Kenyan Troops’ Deployment to Haiti

In Nairobi, Kenya, the Supreme Court’s decision on whether to allow Kenyan President William Ruto to deploy Kenyan troops to Haiti has been delayed. The court has prolonged its orders prohibiting the deployment of Kenyan police to Haiti to spearhead a U.N Security Council-sanctioned mission to tackle gang violence in the Caribbean country.

On Tuesday, the High Court announced its decision on the case would be given on Nov. 9. Ekuru Aukot, a past presidential candidate, lodged a petition on Oct. 9 contesting the deployment of Kenyan forces, contending that the law allowing the president to do so conflicts with some articles of the constitution.

In Aukot’s petition, he criticizes President William Ruto for consenting to command the international peacekeeping mission while Kenya is dealing with its own internal security concerns caused by militant attacks and recent ethnic conflicts.

The U.N. Security Council resolution, formulated by the United States and Ecuador, permits the force to be deployed for a year, with an assessment after nine months. Kenya’s national assembly has not yet organized a debate on the motion to deploy the contingent, which is anticipated to consist of about 1,000 police officers. The non-U.N mission would be financed by voluntary contributions, with the U.S. promising up to $200 million.

Haiti’s Premier Ariel Henry, who called for international assistance a year ago, has been accused in the assassination of Haiti’s president, Jovenel Moise.

The date of the deployment start and the Court’s ruling in favor of Ruto are still uncertain. If the court decides against Ruto, the other options available to Ruto or the United Nations remain unclear. The task of finding a nation to lead the troops in Haiti took the United States and Canada over a year. If Kenya cannot do it, it remains to be seen whether the United States or Canada would assume the lead.