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Next week, approximately 200 Kenyan police officers will be dispatched to Haiti as part of a UN Security Council-endorsed mission to bolster security in Port-au-Prince.
This deployment follows Kenya’s July 2023 commitment to lead the mission, pledging 1,000 troops to help stabilize the nation, which is besieged by criminal gangs.
According to the Nation newspaper, these officers, selected from the elite Recce squad, Rapid Deployment Force, and Special Operation Group, are expected to arrive in Port-au-Prince around May 23 or 24. Their arrival will coincide with President William Ruto’s official visit to the United States.
The United States has committed $100 million (Ksh.13 billion) to support the mission and has encouraged other nations to contribute similarly. Half of the deployed platoon will focus on securing critical infrastructure in the Haitian capital, while the remaining officers will engage in direct combat with the criminal gangs.
President Ruto announced in March that Kenya had signed an agreement with Haiti to enable Nairobi’s participation in the multinational security effort.
This agreement, witnessed by Ruto and former Haitian Prime Minister Ariel Henry, paved the way for the deployment of Kenyan forces.
In April, Kenya welcomed the establishment of the Haiti Transitional Presidential Council (TPC), which took office on April 25.
The nine-member council, which marks the resignation of Prime Minister Henry, will oversee the restoration of key government functions and the organization of the 2026 elections.
Michel Patrick Boisvert, Henry’s former finance minister, will serve as interim prime minister until a new leader is chosen by the council.
