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State House has come to the defence of Kenya’s mission in Haiti on a day President William Ruto embarked on a five-day tour of the United States of America which includes a much-hyped State Visit.
State House Spokesman Hussein Mohammed said President Ruto has lined up several meetings aimed at improving bilateral ties between the two countries.
Foreign Affairs Principal Secretary Dr Korir Singoei who addressed the press conference alongside Hussein at Harambee House yesterday said the Kenya-led mission to Haiti was approved by the United Nations Security Council last year.
“Kenyan-led mission to Haiti is ongoing with police officers set to depart to the country in the next few weeks having the blessing of the United Nations Security Council which gave Kenya the mandate to lead the peacekeeping mission,” said Sing’oei.
Sing’oei said a Presidential Council had already been inaugurated in Haiti and that Kenya is abiding by the directions given by the court on how to carry out this process with the government currently finalising the deployment plan.
Singoei dismissed claims that President Ruto would make a stopover in Haiti’s capital Port Au Prince after concluding his trip to the US on Friday. He said the president has a tight schedule for the next five days which upon conclusion he will head back home.
The Law Society of Kenya however termed Kenya’s action of deploying its police to Haiti a wrong move since the court had declared it unconstitutional on account of the absence of reciprocal provisions in Kenyan and Haitian laws and a bilateral treaty.
“It has come to our attention that despite the court orders, the government has sanctioned the deployment” Read a statement signed by LSK President Faith Odhiambo in part “It is reported that the Cabinet Secretary Interior and the former Haitian Prime Minister executed a bilateral treaty purportedly authorising the intended deployment of Kenyan Police Officers.”
She said the Law Society of Kenya is compelled, in defence of the rule of law, to point out that the legal requirements, as interpreted by Justice C. Mwita have not been met therefore any move to deploy police officers to Haiti is unconstitutional and illegal.
Source:The Standard