HAITI-COURT-Court temporary blocks Kenyan police officers from going to Haiti under UN-backed mission.

A judge has upheld an opposition politician's request for an interim injunction temporarily preventing the Kenyan government from sending police to the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) country of Haiti at the head of a UN-backed mission aiming to restore peace and security in the French-speaking country.

'I am satisfied that the application and petition raise substantial issues of national importance and public interest that require urgent consideration,' High Court judge Enock Mwita ruled.

The injunction had been sought by Ekuru Aukot, who argued the deployment was unconstitutional as it was not backed by any law or treaty.

Haitian security members (File Photo)

Last week, the UN Security Council approved a Kenyan-led multinational security force with the African country promising 1,000 police officers.

The resolution, adopted under UN Charter's Chapter VII last Monday, which sets out the Security Council's responsibilities to maintain international peace and security, was penned by the United States and Ecuador.

The UN said the international mission has been approved for an initial period of a year with a review after nine months. It will be led by Kenya, and several of Haiti's Caribbean neighbours including Antigua and Barbuda, Jamaica, the Bahamas and Belize, have also pledged their support.

Aukot, a lawyer who...