A Kenyan force will leave for Haiti on Tuesday, June 25 to lead a UN-backed mission to tackle gang violence, despite court challenges against it, government and police sources said Sunday.
Kenya offered to send about 1,000 police officers to stabilize Haiti alongside personnel from several other countries, but the deployment has faced legal challenges.
President William Ruto has been an enthusiastic supporter of the mission and stated this month that the deployment would begin within weeks.
“The departure is this week on Tuesday,” an interior ministry official said on condition of anonymity.
“Preparations are set for the team to depart for Haiti on Tuesday. We already have two advance teams that left — one last week and another one yesterday,” a senior police official added.
A UN Security Council resolution in October approved the mission, but a Kenyan court in January delayed the deployment. The court ruled that the Kenyan government had no authority to send police officers abroad without a prior agreement.
The government secured that agreement on March 1, but a small opposition party in Kenya filed a fresh lawsuit to try to block it.
Last week, President Ruto held pivotal talks with the Haiti Transitional Presidential Council, chaired by Engineer Edgard Leblanc Fils.
The discussions aimed to establish robust communication channels to support Haiti in its ongoing quest for peace and stability.
“Kenya is a firm believer in the shared global values of multilateralism as enshrined in the United Nations Charter,” Ruto stated.
He added, “We will safeguard shared principles of humanity that enable us to advance peace, security, and stability.”
President Ruto’s discussions followed a meeting between Inspector General of Police Japhet Koome and Haiti Police official Joachim Prohete at the National Police Service (NPS) headquarters in Nairobi on Tuesday, June 18.
Other countries that have expressed willingness to join the mission include Benin, the Bahamas, Bangladesh, Barbados, and Chad.
The United States is providing funding and logistical support.
