Kenya court blocks police from going to Haiti

• Kenyan High Court halts government’s foreign policy deployment pending petition hearing.
• The judge underscores the national importance and public interest in the case.
• Doubts were raised regarding the suitability of regular police for international assignments.
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The Kenyan High Court has temporarily halted the government’s plans to send police officers to Haiti or any other foreign country pending a petition hearing.

The judge has emphasized that the issues raised in the application are of national importance and public interest.

One of the individuals filing the petition, Ekuru Aukot, a former presidential candidate, argued that the proposed deployment of police officers was unconstitutional.

There is also a question about whether regular police personnel can be deployed for international assignments.

Mr. Aukot added that it would be inappropriate to send 1,000 officers abroad before addressing the pressing issue of insecurity at home, especially in light of recent ethnic clashes in western Kenya that resulted in seven fatalities.

Additionally, the coastal region of Lamu has faced attacks from the Somalia-based al-Shabab militant group and is currently under a curfew.

The Interior Minister, speaking on Sunday, assured that the deployment would not compromise the safety and security of the country.

The court is expected to provide further instructions at the end of October.

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