Interior and National Administration Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki has emphasized that the Kenyan Parliament will play a pivotal role in the decision to deploy approximately 1,000 Kenyan troops to the crisis-ridden nation of Haiti.
Speaking at a church service in Kiambu County, Kindiki underscored the constitutional mandate granted to Parliament in approving foreign security missions.
“Article 240 of the Constitution necessitates Parliament’s approval for the deployment of security officers to any peacekeeping mission. In the case of deploying our police officers to Haiti, both chambers of Parliament will have the opportunity to endorse the mission,” Kindiki affirmed.
Article 240 of the Constitution grants the National Security Council the authority, with Parliament’s oversight, to approve the deployment of Kenyan forces abroad for regional or international peace support operations, as well as the presence of foreign forces within Kenya.
In response to concerns expressed by skeptics that this mission might compromise national security, Kindiki reassured the public that the safety of Kenyan citizens remains paramount for all security agencies.
“The deployment of our security officers to Haiti will not, in any way, compromise or undermine our commitment and responsibility to the safety and security of our citizens,” Kindiki emphasized.
Haiti has been grappling with severe challenges, including armed gangs taking control of significant portions of the country’s territory, exacerbated by intersecting crises in public health, politics, and the economy.
The nation has been in turmoil since the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse in July 2021, with over 2,400 casualties reported due to violence in the current year, according to United Nations statistics.
