An additional 600 Kenyan police officers undergoing training will be deployed to Haiti in November as part of the Multinational Security Support (MSS) mission, President William Ruto has announced.
Speaking during a joint press conference at State House, Nairobi, with visiting Haiti Prime Minister Garry Conille, President Ruto reiterated Kenya's commitment to the mission in the troubled Caribbean nation.
Dr Conille landed in Kenya on the afternoon of Thursday, October 10, 2024.
“A total of 600 Kenyan police officers are still undergoing training and will be deployed to Haiti next month,” said President Ruto.
So far, Kenya and Jamaica are the only countries to have sent officers to Haiti. The Jamaicans have sent 24 military and police personnel.
Other countries that have promised to send their officers include the Bahamas, Antigua, Barbuda, Italy, Spain, Mongolia, Senegal, Belize, Suriname, Guatemala and Peru.
Dr Conille will spend four days in Kenya holding high-level talks with President Ruto and other officials.
According to an official statement from the office of the Haitian Prime Minister, he will be in Kenya for four days and his main mission will be to discuss the timelines for sending the additional officers to Haiti.
"The Haitian head of government, Dr Garry Conille, will also meet his counterpart from the United Arab Emirates during the mission to discuss partnerships in new technologies and technical assistance in security," the Haitian government said.
In addition, he will also hold a series of meetings with willing African countries to discuss the socio-security crisis and opportunities for Haiti.
During his visit to Africa, Haiti's Minister of Justice and Public Security, Carlos Hercule, will act as interim Prime Minister.
The Prime Minister's visit to Kenya comes barely three weeks after President William Ruto visited the Caribbean nation.
During President Ruto's recent visit to Haiti, he also said he supported the mission becoming a full United Nations peacekeeping operation.
The officers also shared the challenges they have faced in Haiti, specifically mentioning the need for more resources to help them restore peace there.
They also raised concerns about their allowances, which are supposed to be paid on a monthly basis.
"Sir, we have a problem with the compensation, we do not know what is happening. We are not aware of what is happening," said one officer.
Among the equipment the officers need are helicopters and additional armoured personnel carriers (APCs) to use.
So far, two gang leaders from the Chen Mechan and Pierre 6 groups have been arrested and are in police custody.
Jimmy Cherizier, alias Barbecue, one of Haiti's most prominent gang leaders, has complained about the Kenyans' operation.
The International Organisation for Migration (IOM) reported that nearly 90 percent of the displaced are staying with relatives, while others have chosen to seek shelter in various locations and schools.
Haiti has been torn by years of violence as gangs with close ties to the country's political and business leaders have vied for influence and control of territory.
In February 2024, there was a spike in attacks that led to the resignation of Mr Ariel Henry, who was serving as Prime Minister.
This led to the creation of the Transitional Presidential Council, which chose Dr Conille to serve as Prime Minister until the country went to elections.
