Another Blow for Ruto as Court Rules He Cannot Deploy Police in Haiti

 

President William Ruto on Friday afternoon received his second blow.

Just hours after the court of appeal declared the housing levy unconstitutional, another court has halted yet another of his high profile programmes.

The high court in Nairobi has termed the deployment of police officers to Haiti as illegal.

Making the determination, Justice Chacha Mwita stated that the National Security Council, which includes President Ruto, lacks the authority to deploy regular police forces outside the country.

This puts a stop to a programme that catapulted Ruto to international acclaim, more so with the West, just months after he took office.

Last month, the head of Haiti’s national police visited Kenya to check on the preparations for the deployment, with abut 1000 officers expected to take part.

At least 300 Kenyan police officers would have left for Haiti this February.

Although not publicly specified, they were expected to take home several thousand US dollars a month, on top of their Kenyan salaries. The entire process was financed by the United States.

It remains to be seen whether the government will appeal.