Miami, Oct 10, 2023.- Kenya’s High Court has issued a temporary injunction, lasting for two weeks, prohibiting the deployment of the country’s security forces to other nations. This decision comes as a response to a case filed by a local politician who challenges the constitutionality of such deployments.

The backdrop for this legal action is Kenya’s recent agreement to lead a multinational force aimed at addressing gang violence in Haiti, following a United Nations Security Council resolution passed just last week. The mission’s funding relies on voluntary contributions, with the United States pledging a substantial sum of up to $200 million.

Ekuru Aukot, a former presidential candidate, lodged a petition on Friday opposing the deployment of Kenyan forces, contending that the existing law enabling the president to authorize such actions contradicts certain articles of the constitution. Aukot’s petition also criticizes President William Ruto for accepting leadership of the international peacekeeping mission at a time when Kenya grapples with security challenges stemming from militant attacks and recent ethnic conflicts.

High Court Justice Chacha Mwita has granted those being challenged, which include Ruto, the interior minister, and the police’s inspector general, a three-day window to respond to Aukot’s petition. The next court hearing is scheduled for October 24.

Notably, Kenya’s opposition leader, Raila Odinga, has also voiced criticism against Kenya’s involvement in the Haiti peacekeeping mission, citing the country’s pressing security issues as a concern.