The Kenyan High Court has blocked the government’s plans to send approximately 1,000 police officers to combat gangs in Haiti.
The judge asserted that the National Security Council lacks the authority to deploy police forces abroad.
The judge’s decision emphasizes a distinction in the council’s powers, allowing for military but not police deployment in international peacekeeping missions.
Kenya had previously volunteered to lead a multinational security force to address rising gang violence in Haiti.
In response to the ruling, Kenya’s government has announced its intention to appeal.
The United Nations this month reported nearly 4,800 killings in Haiti last year, up 119 percent from 2022. It recorded 2,490 kidnappings in 2023, up 83 percent from the previous year.
