Thirdway Alliance leader Ekuru Aukot has raised concerns regarding Kenya's decision to deploy 1000 police officers to Haiti to assist in quelling the ongoing criminal activities and unrest in the country.
In a series of posts on his X account, formerly Twitter, Ekuru questioned the feasibility of such a mission, referring to it as a potential 'suicide mission' for the Kenyan officers.
"We can't disarm the Pokot, Turkana, and Samburu in the North and in villages, but we are confident we will disarm over 200 organized gangs that have taken over a country, killed a president, infiltrated security forces and armed with sophisticated weapons? Some jokes are not jokes. That deployment is a suicide mission for our 1000 police officers. My friend, don't make that mistake. Somalia is a lesson for Kenya," the politician stated.
"Deploying 1000 Kenyan police officers to Haiti is an ill-advised mission. Let the USA and France fix the mess they created. Kenya should not be used to clean up their dirt," he added expressing his scepticism further.
Aukot also expressed concerns about the potential misuse of funds allocated for the mission.
"Finally, a confirmation that 1000 of our ill-equipped and unprepared police officers are being sent to Haiti to clean up the USA and France's dirty work in Haiti. Sadly, the money won't even go to them or their families. It will be eaten in Kenya, as has been the case with the AMISOM situation in Somalia," he stated.
Haiti deployment
Haiti has been embroiled in a state of turmoil for over two years following the assassination of its President, Jovenel Moise, on July 7, 2021. Since then, the country has faced rampant violence and instability, leading to the displacement of over 200,000 Haitians, with their homes destroyed by criminal gangs.
During the United Nations General Assembly, Kenyan President William Ruto announced Kenya's commitment to sending 1000 police officers to Haiti to help address the ongoing crisis.
A proposal Ekuru criticized heavily said he viewed it as misguided and not aligned with the interests of Kenyan citizens.
"I followed President William Ruto's visit to the US. My observation is that it has been turned into a circus. The American Leadership is projecting him as their greatest defender of American interests in Kenya and Africa.
"They even lauded our president's misguided suggestion to send troops to Haiti. There was nothing about the interests of Kenyans. The other African leaders present are embarrassed. What did you observe?" he stated on his X account.
In an interview with the BBC, Foreign Affairs Cabinet Secretary Alfred Mutua confirmed that preparations for the deployment were underway, including language training in French, logistical planning, provision of necessary equipment, and psychological preparedness for the personnel.
