If Kenya supports Haiti mission, what stops signing deal with Al-Shabaab - Ekuru Aukot

This after Kenya and Haiti signed an agreement witnessed by President William Ruto and Prime Minister Ariel Henri on March 1, marking a crucial step towards the deployment of 1,000 Kenyan police officers to the war-ridden Caribbean nation.

Speaking with Citizen TV on Monday, Aukot said that Kenya has barely managed to combat its decade-long wars in the northern region yet it wants to send officers to a gang-ruled nation.

"The gangs have taken over the airport, all the police stations, released about 4,000 prison inmates and they have told Ariel Henri to stay in Kenya because he is not legitimate," said Aukot.

"If we go this route what then stops us from signing an agreement with Al-Qaeda or Al Shabaab or any outlawed movement say mungiki because they control a certain region."

Aukot further propounded that PM Ariel Henri's legitimacy is in question since Haiti lacks a definite ruling body since the gangs took over power.

"Haiti does not have a parliament even a legitimate government meaning that even Ariel Henri is not legitimate as Prime Minister," he said.

PM Henry, who has been in power since the assassination of Jovenel Moise has no Parliament with elected representatives of the people, and disbanded the electoral body, dismissed the country’s Chief Prosecutor and since the expiry of his temporary mandate a year ago rules by decree. 

It is not therefore clear how the agreement signed at State House, Nairobi will be ratified by Haiti.

On October 13, 2023, the National Security Council and Cabinet approved the deployment of 1,000 police officers. Further, on November 16, 2023, Parliament unanimously approved this deployment.

However, the High Court in Nairobi stopped the planned mission after determining the need for a reciprocal instrument between Kenya and Haiti to enable this deployment.

Kenya is set to lead the mission as authorized by United Nations Security Council Resolution 2699.