The lawyer Ekuru Aukot led The Thirdway Alliance Party has now petitioned against the planned deployment of Kenya police to Haiti citing failure to gazette the Kenya-led Multinational Security Support Mission.
Further, Aukot accused the United States and its allies of meddling in Haiti affairs as he launched a suit against a multinational security arrangement.
Through a letter to the United Nation and US President Joe Biden, Aukot argued that the Kenyan people are in the dark as they have no information on the reciprocal agreement signed by President William Ruto and ousted Haitian Prime Minister Ariel Henry in March as it was not published in the Kenya Gazette, the official government paper.
President William Ruto is expected to pay a State visit in the USA beginning this week.
President Ruto will visit Atlanta, Georgia from May 20 to 21 before heading to the White House on May 23.
“The aforesaid discretionary power is conditional upon the president satisfying himself on a number of conditions that must obtain beforehand, to wit, the reciprocal arrangement must then be published in the official Kenya gazette in order that the people of Kenya must know that their NPS is being deployed externally.” The petition read in part.
The party further averred that there was lack of public participation and parliamentary approval before the announcement of Kenya’s involvement in the intended peace mission in the gang wrenched North American country making the decision by president William Ruto a constitutional illegality.
“The president’s power is further limited during peacetime more so with regards to the utilization of the NPS on foreign engagements. Additionally, the executive failed to engage the public who continue to express their distaste for the executive’s misplaced priorities.” The petition says.
Thirdway Alliance moved to court on Friday, May 17, 2024 to stop the impending deployment of a 1,000 strong contingent to Haiti citing flagrant disregard of court orders.
High Court had flagged the deployment in a ruling in January owing to lack of a reciprocal agreement between the two nations.
Kenya is preparing to deploy its police alongside Jamaica, Chad, Benin and Barbados.
Aukot read malice in the impending deployment of Kenya-led Multinational Security Support adding that it is a subtle way the US is using to scale up its firm grip on Haiti.
“We wish to state beforehand that the meddling and interference by other nations, especially the United States of America (USA) and its allies, the republic of Kenya and others, remain the cause of the suffering of the people of Haiti.” Aukot said in a letter addressed to President Joe Biden and United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres.
He faulted the United Nations for “ordaining” America’s actions in Haiti warning that the stance by the global body is intended on “re-colonizing” Haiti.
“It is not lost on us that there is deliberate effort to paint Haiti in the negative including the very derogatory description of Haiti as being a poor country contrary to its valuable ground, land and sea resources; strategic location at the Windward Passage.” He added.
Haiti has been battling gangs who have caused political instability in the North American country leading to a huge economic downturn.
In March, gangs ran over the capital Port-Au-Prince while Prime Minister Ariel Henry was in Kenya to finalize arrangements for the deployment of 1,000 Multinational Security Support Mission to Haiti.
Henry would later bow to pressure and resign leading to the creation of a Transitional Council.
Kenya is preparing to deploy its police alongside Jamaica, Chad, Benin and Barbados.
In November last year, the government has received a green light from the National Assembly to deploy 1,000 police officers to Haiti to quell a surge in gang violence that has claimed more than 2,000 lives in 2023 alone.
The National Assembly on Thursday, November 16 voted to pass the motion on deployment of the Kenyan offices to Haiti as part of the United Nations-backed mission.
The motion, moved by Narok West Member of Parliament Gabriel Tongoyo, sailed through the House despite opposition from lawmakers allied to the Azimio la Umoja – One Kenya coalition, who form the minority in the 13th parliament.
The Azimio MPs led by Minority Leader Opiyo Wandayi opposed the debate of the motion, citing a court order barring the Kenyan government from deploying its officers to the Caribbean nation.
