Kenyan President, William Ruto said on Sunday, that Kenyan police officers will begin to leave for Haiti in about two weeks, despite the legal challenges that have stalled the mission.
Kenya will lead a UN-backed mission to restore order and peace to the Caribbean nation, beset by extreme violence, poverty and political instability.
A thousand-strong Kenyan contingent is expected to champion the mission, alongside personnel from several other countries.
“The people of Haiti are maybe waiting, by the grace of God, that probably by next week or the other week, we shall send our police officers to restore peace,” Ruto said in an address on Sunday.
While a UN Security Council resolution in October gave a go for the mission, it has been delayed by legal stops back home. A Kenyan court ruled that the government had no authority to send police officers abroad without a prior agreement.
The government obtained that agreement in March.
However, an opposition party filed a fresh lawsuit to block it and Kenya’s High Court is due to consider that case on June 12.
Other countries expected to join the mission include Benin, the Bahamas, Bangladesh, Barbados and Chad.
