The Dilemma of Troop Contribution to International Peace Missions: a Case of the Kenya Police Deployment to Haiti

Abstract This paper explores the dilemma states face when choosing between domestic concerns and international obligations in international Peacekeeping operations ( pko s) and peace support operations ( pso s). Most of the existing literature focuses on the nature, number, distribution, success, and failures of pko s and pso s. However, little attention has been directed to the delicate balance contributing countries face due to competing domestic and international interests. Using a qualitative method approach, this study examines efforts by Kenya to deploy a contingent of National Police Service ( nps ) officers to Haiti as part of an international peace support intervention. The authors argue that weaponization of information is increasingly posing a serious dilemma for countries involved in peacekeeping. By looking at the controversies that have engulfed Kenya’s deployment of its national police to Haiti, the study analyses how the framing of peacekeeping operations is likely to affect the legitimacy, trust and increase polarization.