Nairobi — Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki has assured that no deployment of police forces will be done until Parliament approves the decision by the National Security Council for the forces to take part in the multinational peace support operation in Haiti.
Appearing before the National Assembly Security and Administration Committee, Kindiki dismissed claims that the country intended to deploy 1,000 police officers without a nod from MPs.
Article 240 of the constitution requires that for the National Security Council to deploy any forces outside the country whether it is KDF or any other force that constitutes organs of national security, parliament must approve.
"Legal processes must precede before the active deployment. President Ruto while addressing 78TH UNGA assured Kenyan readiness to assume the lead role but the caveat is the fulfillment of the constitutional obligations," said Kindiki.
Kindiki emphasized that the country has been participating in peace missions internationally including Namibia, South Sudan, Sudan, East Timor, Somalia, Bosnia and Herzegovina where they have been successful.
He castigated the sentiments that police officers were being used as experiments in the mission in which the United Nations Security Council's approved a Kenyan-led Multinational Security Support Mission (MSSM) in Haiti.
"We are not sending our officers as guinea pigs. Kenya has been at the forefront in supporting peace missions across the globe not by the military but police component as well," stated Kindiki.
The Interior Cabinet Secretary mentioned that the National Security Council is awaiting a report by the fact-finding mission before making the final decision on deployment and prior to presenting their decision for deployment to Parliament.
"NSAC is expected to sit in a few days and in the letter which will be transmitted to Parliament for Haiti deployment it will include details of the fact finding team report. The assessment report will guide on what should be done before deployment," Kindiki noted.
The Interior Boss revealed that preliminary findings of the teams sent to Haiti have shown the viability and success of the mission where Kenya is supposed to lead the operations to restore normalcy in the peace-torn country.
Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi is expected to lead a dispatch mission to the United Nations next week to assess the situation prior to deployment
"We have dispatched an assessment team in Haiti composing of representatives from the National Police Service, the Foreign affairs ministry and other stakeholders that are critical to give us an assessment before the necessary procedures are taken as basis of due diligence," Kindiki stated.
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The High Court temporarily stopped the government from deploying police to Haiti after Third way Alliance sued the State to block the move on grounds it was not approved by Parliament.
President William Ruto has been listed as a respondent alongside the National Security Council, Inspector-General of Police Japhet Koome, Interior CS Kithure Kindiki, National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang'ula and Attorney-General Justin Muturi.
Aukot says Section 6 is the only provision for the deployment of police outside the country and it can only happen in defence of Kenya and during a state of emergency.
He argues that Haiti is neither at war nor in a state of emergency adding that in the past US and France have deployed their armed forces which resulted in regrettable consequence
Justice Mwita's orders will remain in force until October 24 when he will give further directions upon hearing from both sides of the petition.
