Kenya sends second batch of police to security mission in Haiti

By Robert Mutasi

Kenya has sent the second batch of police officers to Haiti under a United Nations-backed mission to try to end gang violence in the troubled Caribbean nation.

The deployment follows the country's June deployment of 400 officers to the violent capital of Port-au-Prince, Haiti, in response to a contentious request to send up to 1,000 police to aid in stabilization.

The promise, made by President William Ruto, who is trying to quell anti-government protests at home, has faced legal challenges in Kenya.

"We have 200 police officers who left last night, they should land in Haiti this morning," a senior police official told AFP. 

"They join their peers who are already there." Another senior police source confirmed to AFP that the officers left on Monday night, traveling on a chartered plane. 

He added, "More will leave soon until we get all 1,000."

This East African nation leads a force expected to have a total of 2,500 soldiers.

Other countries, especially in Africa and the Caribbean, also contribute to the mission, which is blessed but not controlled by the United Nations.

The Kenya National Police Service refuted reports that seven officers were slain in Haiti in a statement released on July 1.

The troops deployed had been "warmly received", and "all were safe and ready to carry out their clear and specific duties," it said.

They were working closely with their host, the Haitian National Police, and have so far taken a strategic map of the areas they are likely to operate and conducted several joint patrols within Port-au-Prince.

After Haiti appealed for international assistance with security personnel to support its fight against gangs blamed for spiraling violence, Kenya promised to provide 1,000 police officers in July 2023.

However, an opposition party filed a lawsuit early in October 2023 and won an order stopping the deployment.

It asserted that the plan was unconstitutional because only the military could be sent abroad and that there was no public participation.

Later, Kenyan parliamentarians approved a request to send hundreds of police officers to Haiti as part of a mission authorized by the United Nations to assist the Caribbean country in combating gang violence.