President Ruto hosts Haitian PM to advance deployment of Kenyan police to Haiti

President William Ruto on Thursday hosted Haitian Prime Minister (PM) Ariel Henry at State House, Nairobi, with the objective of ironing out the details of the UN Security Council-backed Multinational Security Support (MSS) Mission, that will see Kenya deploy police officers to the gang-controlled Caribbean nation.

Taking to social media platform X after the meeting, President Ruto underscored Kenya's commitment to supporting Haiti in its ongoing war against criminal gangs that have seized control of the nation.

"Kenya associates itself with the people of Haiti because of our common heritage. We are offering the experience and expertise of our police officers in the Multinational Security Support Mission in Haiti as mandated by the United Nations Security Council and as guided by our courts. Met Prime Minister of Haiti Ariel Henry, State House, Nairobi," said Ruto.

The meeting comes despite the High Court in January declaring that the planned deployment of Kenyan police officers to Haiti as illegal.

In a ruling delivered on Friday, January 26, Justice Chacha Mwita announced that the National Security Council has no mandate to deploy police officers to another country.

"Any decision by any state organ or state officer to deploy police officers to Haiti... contravenes the constitution and the law and is therefore unconstitutional, illegal and invalid," the ruling read.

"An order is hereby issued prohibiting deployment of police forces to Haiti or any other country," he said.

The Kenya Kwanza government has however vowed to appeal the decision.

Government Spokesman Dr. Isaac Mwaura, on January 26 said that although the ruling government respects the rule of law, it is determined to bring peace to the Caribbean nation hence will not abandon the mission easily.

“The government of Kenya takes note of the High court’s ruling regarding the deployment of the Kenya police to help in the Multi-national Security Support (MSS) mission for the restoration of law and order in Haiti,” he said.

“While the government respects the rule of law, we have however made the decision to challenge the high court’s verdict forthwith.”