High Court judge Chacha Mwita on Tuesday extended orders temporarily barring the Kenyan government from deploying police officers to Haiti on a UN-backed mission aimed at pacifying the troubled Caribbean nation.
He issued the orders pending the hearing of a petition filed by Thirdway Alliance Kenya leader Ekuru Aukot and two others.
Further, the judge said the matter would be heard in an open court session from November 9 in "a quicker way".
Because the planned deployment is not supported by any laws or treaties, Aukot contends in the case that it is unconstitutional.
The petitioners claim that the Constitution forbids the deployment of the police force outside of Kenya, and that any deployment of police officers or other forces abroad must comply with the constitution's provisions as it is a matter of significant public interest.
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"As a matter of international notoriety, there is currently no elected government in Haiti. Kenya does not have an Embassy in Haiti,” reads court papers.
Kenya has pledged to deploy 1,000 security personnel for the mission seeking to combat a decades-long gang violence characterized by widespread murders, kidnappings and extortion.
The UN Security Council gave the go-ahead in early October for the deployment of the non-UN multinational mission, led by Kenya, to help the overwhelmed Haitian police.
Kenya's involvement has been criticised at home, with many questioning the wisdom of such a risky mission.
Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki defended the deployment earlier this month, saying they "are not taking our officers to Haiti as guinea pigs".
