President Ruto has personal interests in Haiti mission

Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna has claimed that President William Ruto is pushing for the deployment of police officers to Haiti because he has monetary interests in the mission.

Speaking during an interview with Citizen TV on Thursday February 1, 2024, Sifuna wondered why President Ruto has remained adamant on the Haiti mission despite the High Court terming the move as unconstitutional.

Sifuna explained that Ruto has insisted on proceeding with the Haiti mission because he is set to gain personally from the mission.

The Nairobi Senator added that the truth about President Ruto’s deal in the Haiti mission will come out soon.

National police officers during a parade [Photo: NPS]

“The question I ask myself is, what is the thing that Ruto is going to gain from this deployment in Haiti because it doesn’t make sense to anyone else; to ordinary Kenyans, to the courts, why is he insisting,” said Sifuna.

“I cannot think of any other reason other than pecuniary interest and it will emerge in the fullness of time we will see that this deployment was not done in the interest of the people of Kenya or in the interest of the people of Haiti. It is private pecuniary interests,” he added.

His remarks emerged after President Ruto on Tuesday January 30, stated during an interview with Reuters that the Haiti mission that was approved by the UN will proceed as planned.

According to Ruto, Kenya was willing to offer help, after the war torn Haiti asked for assistance several months ago.

“So that mission can go ahead as soon as next week if all the paperwork is done between Kenya and Haiti on the bilateral route that has been suggested by the court,” said Ruto, while in Rome for the Italian-Africa summit.

“The mission is on course. The mission is a bigger calling to humanity,” he added.

Police officers from Kenya are expected to work in collaboration with forces from Bahamas, Antigua and Barbuda, and Jamaica to restore peace and order in Haiti.

In July 2023, the government of Kenya committed that it would deploy 1,000 police officers to Haiti.

President William Ruto during a meeting with the Director General of the Food and Agriculture Organisation Qu Dongyu, Rome, Italy on January 30, 2024. PHOTO | WILLIAM RUTO-TWITTER

However on January 26, 2024, High Court Judge Chacha Mwita declared the government’s plan to deploy National Police Service officers to Haiti Illegal and Unconstitutional.

While delivering the ruling, Justice Mwita noted that the National Security Council and National Police Service have no powers to deploy police outside Kenya.

“Article 240 does not mandate the Council to deploy police officers outside Kenya. Deployment should be as provided for in part 14 of the Act and only to a reciprocating country,” ruled Judge Chacha Mwita.

The petition was filed by Thirdway party leader Dr. Ekuru Aukot who termed the decision as illegal and wanted it blocked.

Meanwhile, the Kenya Kwanza government has revealed plans to appeal the court’s decision arguing that it is crucial for Kenya to promote peace in Haiti.