A contingent of 217 Kenyan police officers left for Haiti early Saturday morning to support efforts in curbing criminal gang activity in the Caribbean nation.
The officers, drawn from various units of the National Police Service, were flagged off by senior officials from the Interior and Foreign Affairs ministries at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport.
The officers boarded a Kenya Airways commercial flight that departed at 2 a.m. on January 18. Due to security concerns, American aviation officials are escorting the flight to Port-au-Prince Airport, which remains closed until March 2025 due to gang threats.
This deployment is part of Kenya’s commitment to the Multinational Security Support (MSS) Mission in Haiti. The 217 officers join 400 Kenyan police personnel already on the ground, with plans to send an additional 200 officers by the end of the month and the final group in February.
The MSS Mission, backed by the United Nations and led by Kenyan forces, aims to restore law and order in Haiti. The Kenyan-led effort is part of a broader international operation involving 2,500 officers from various nations, including Guatemala, El Salvador, Jamaica, and Belize.
Officials are optimistic about progress in the mission, noting the recent graduation of 739 Haitian police officers after a five-month training program. These officers are set to bolster Haiti’s National Police (HNP) and strengthen operations in regions plagued by gang violence.
To further enhance stability, the MSS Mission plans to establish additional forward operating bases (FOBs) in the most affected regions.
Haiti has faced years of chronic instability, economic hardship, and gang violence, exacerbated by the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse in 2021. In March 2024, armed gangs stormed the nation’s two largest prisons, freeing approximately 3,700 inmates, further complicating security challenges.
During a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing, U.S. Secretary of State nominee Marco Rubio praised Kenya for its leadership in the mission despite financial constraints. Rubio emphasized the importance of international collaboration to restore peace in Haiti, stating:
“There is no easy solution, but Kenya deserves credit for leading this mission. Establishing baseline security is critical and requires support from foreign partners.”
Rubio also indicated that the Biden administration is advocating for the MSS Mission to transition into a formal United Nations peacekeeping operation to ensure sustainable funding.
Kenya’s involvement underscores its commitment to global security and humanitarian efforts, as officials express hope for the mission’s success in stabilizing Haiti and creating conditions for a legitimate transitional government and future elections.