Members of Parliament on Thursday approved the deployment of 1,000 Police officers to Haiti for a peacekeeping mission despite an existing conservatory order issued by a court against the operation.
The motion was tabled in Parliament by the Joint Committee of the National Assembly Departmental Committee on Administration and Internal Security and the Senate Standing Committee on National Security, Defence and Foreign Relations.
"Taking into consideration the recommendations of the joint committee, this House approves the deployment of officers of the National Police Service to the Multinational Security Support Mission to Haiti," read part of the statement by the National Assembly as drafted in the order paper.
Gladys Shollei, the Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly, approved the motion for debate, noting that the National Assembly was not served with the court petition barring the deployment of the police service to quell violence in Haiti.
"Pursuant to provisions of article 248 A, this House approves the deployment of the NPS to the Multinational Peacekeeping to Haiti,” the Deputy Speaker ruled.
The motion seeking the police deployment to Haiti was backed by a number of MPs affiliated to the Kenya Kwanza coalition including the National Assembly Majority leader Kimani Ichung'wah.
According to Ichung'wah, the court must wait for Parliament's decision before pronouncing itself on the matter.
“Our own standing orders do not stop us from discussing matters, so honorable Speaker you may allow people to even make reference without going into the facts that are being prosecuted before the court,” Ichung’wah noted.
However, the motion was equally opposed by a number of MPs allied to the opposition, Minority Leader Opiyo Wandayi and Rarieda MP Otiende Amollo were among the MPs who expressed their opposition to the motion being approved.
Otiende Amollo while expressing his views on the matter, accused Parliament of making a decision sub judice questioning why lawmakers had chosen to ignore a court order.
The approval triggered the response of activist and constitutional lawyer Ekuru Aukot, who lamented that the case was ongoing and MPs risked being charged with contempt of court.
"Our Parliamentarians disobeying court order. We are this morning before Justice Mwita in Court 1 for the hearing of the petition. Meanwhile, our Parliament has sold its soul to the USA to go clean the mess they caused in Haiti," Aukot said in a statement.
