On Saturday, a contingent of 217 Kenyan police officers, including 30 women, arrived in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, aboard a chartered plane escorted by the U.S. military.
The escort was necessitated by ongoing gang violence, which has left the Port-au-Prince airport under threat and partially closed.
The Kenyan officers, part of the Multinational Security Support Mission (MSS), landed at approximately 11 a.m. and were warmly received by Haitian officials, including Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aimé and MSS Force Commander Godfrey Otunge.
High-ranking Kenyan representatives, including Deputy National Security Advisor Joseph Boinnet and DIG-Administration Police Service Gilbert Masengeli, led the delegation.
The officers, chanting and dancing as per Kenyan tradition, carried rifles and waved a Haitian flag upon disembarking.
Their arrival increases the number of foreign security personnel in Haiti to nearly 800, joining contingents from Jamaica, The Bahamas, Belize, Guatemala, and El Salvador.
The Kenyan team has undergone rigorous U.S.-vetted training, specializing in professional patrols and the handling of female suspects.
Addressing the officers, Masengeli emphasized the need for integrity and discipline, with zero tolerance for misconduct or exploitation.
President William Ruto’s commitment to the mission had faced uncertainty amid political shifts, including the U.S. presidential election and changes in Haiti’s leadership.
However, with the nomination of a new U.S. Secretary of State, confidence in the mission’s future appears to have been restored.
Boinnet expressed Kenya’s intent to deepen bilateral ties by opening a consulate in Haiti and reiterated Kenya’s commitment to helping Haiti combat gang violence and regain stability.
The Kenyan contingent joins 400 of their compatriots already stationed in Haiti, bringing the total number of Kenyan officers deployed to 600.
In November, heightened gang violence raised safety concerns in Haiti’s airspace after three U.S. planes were hit by gunfire.
The Kenyan officers’ deployment underscores their dedication to restoring peace in one of the world’s most volatile regions.
