Speaking to lawmakers in parliament, Deputy Speaker Gladys Boss Shollei said "this House approves the deployment of the officers of the National Police Service to multinational security support mission to Haiti."
Shollei's sentiments came amid criticism of Kenya's involvement in the mission and an ongoing court challenge against President William Ruto's administration that is barring the deployment of any police to Haiti.
Despite the challenge, Ruto's administration says it is ready to provide up to 1,000 personnel and vowed that preparations for the mission will continue.
In early October, the UN Security Council gave the go-ahead for the Kenya-led mission to help the overwhelmed Haitian police battle rampant gang violence.
Dr. Ekuru Aukot Opposition Leader in Kenya
Ekuru Aukot, a Kenyan opposition leader, petitioned the Nairobi High Court where he argued the mission was unconstitutional as it was not backed by any law or treaty.
Ahead of the latest hearing, Aukot criticized parliament for proceeding with the vote, accusing lawmakers of "disobeying (the) court order."
Rights watchdogs have also said that Kenyan police have a history of sometimes using lethal force against civilians and that they pose an unacceptable risk in Haiti, where foreign troops have committed abuses in past interventions.
FILE — Kenya's Interior Minister Kithure Kindiki speaks after visiting the mass-grave site in Shakahola, outside the coastal town of Malindi, on April 25, 2023.
Interior Minister Kithure Kindiki defended the deployment last month, saying, "we are not taking our officers to Haiti as guinea pigs."
Ruto says his nation is undertaking a "mission for humanity" in a nation ravaged by colonialism.
The UN-backed mission —initially approved for one year — envisions Kenyan police on the offensive with their Haitian counterparts, who are outnumbered and outgunned by gang members.
The mission will also aim to create conditions to hold elections, which have not taken place in Haiti since 2016.
Kenya is seen as a democratic anchor in East Africa and has participated in peacekeeping operations in its immediate region, including in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Somalia, as well as other parts of the world.
Haiti, the Western hemisphere's poorest nation, has been in turmoil for years, with armed gangs taking over parts of the country and unleashing brutal violence. The economy and public health system is also in tatters.