ODM Lists 6 Reasons It Will Oppose Kenya Police Mission To Haiti

The Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) party has called upon its Members of Parliament (MP) to oppose the planned deployment of Kenya Police officers to Haiti under the Multinational Security Support (MSS) mission.

In a statement on Thursday, October 12, ODM Secretary General Edwin Sifuna appealed to President William Ruto to reconsider the decision to send 1,000 of Kenya's police to the Caribbean nation, which has been controlled by gangs, despite Kenya receiving approval from the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) on the same.

"ODM urges the Ruto regime to reconsider this offer. We call upon Members of Parliament to oppose the deployment of our men and women in uniform to Haiti should the matter be brought before Parliament.

"Our focus should remain on addressing Kenya's pressing internal security issues, improving our law enforcement, and safeguarding the well-being of our police officers and citizens," Sifuna stated.

The Raila Odinga-led party accused Ruto of arbitrarily deciding to send, not the military but the police, to Haiti, a country far away in the Western Hemisphere with no strategic geopolitical value to Kenya. 

Sifuna lamented that the decision "is ill-advised, opportunistic, and undermines the spirit of pan- Africanism."

The party went on to list the following six concerns regarding the deployment:

Constitutional Mandate

According to ODM, Kenya's National Police Service (NPS) is established under Article 244 of the Constitution to enforce national security and does not possess an external mandate.

Internal Security Challenges

ODM stated that while the recommended ratio of police officers viz population is one for every 450 citizens, Kenya's ration is around 1 for every 1,000 citizens.

"We simply do not have policemen to spare. Indeed, given the current security challenges around Sondu, Lamu, the North Rift, along the border with Somalia and within the islands of Lake Victoria, only a truly insensitive and reckless government would deploy 1,000 police officers elsewhere. A poor man's philanthropy will always raise eyebrows," Sifuna complained.

No Immediate Threat to National Security

ODM claimed that Haiti's situation, tragic as it is, poses no immediate threat to Kenya's national security as the two nations do not share a border.

Previous Interventions

ODM cited previous interventions in Haiti conducted by some of the most powerful nations on earth, with disastrous results on each occasion.

"There is therefore no gainsaying the fact that the breakdown of law and order, or the instability in Haiti, are not superficial issues that require mere policing. The root causes go deeper than that," added the party.

Human Rights Record

ODM raised issues with the documented human rights concerns involving Kenya's police forces, adding that "we do not believe that is a side of Kenya we need to display on the international stage."

Lack of Prior Parliamentary Approval

"The commitment to send our policemen to Haiti was made long before approval both of the UN and Kenya's Parliament was sought. Infact given the current state of capture of Parliament, any pretence at seeking approval would be an afterthought meant to sanitize the process using Ruto's voting robots in Parliament," added ODM.

On Thursday, October 5, Raila asserted that the intended deployment of Kenyan security forces to Haiti should be subjected to approval by Parliament.

"Generally, deployment of forces outside the borders requires Parliamentary approval. As you know when I was the Prime Minister and we decided with the Cabinet to send our forces to Somalia, I took a motion to Parliament. It was debated and approved by Parliament. 

"This is a similar case...we are sending our troops outside our borders. It must be approved by Parliament just like the Defence Treaty signed between the government and the government of the United States (US) must also be taken to Parliament and approved," he stated during a media address.

Interior Cabinet Secretary (CS) Kithure Kindiki thereafter made it clear that the law enforcement officers will only start working after approval from the National Assembly and the Senate as required by law.

Article 240 of the Constitution requires Parliament to approve the deployment of security forces to any peacekeeping mission in foreign nations. 

The High Court has since blocked the Interior Ministry from moving ahead with its planned deployment until October 24, 2023 pending the hearing of a petition filed by the Thirdway Alliance Kenya through Ekuru Aukot and two others.