Kenya Sends Additional Police Personnel to Reinforce Anti-Gang Operations in Haiti
The decision underlines the increasing international awareness that the crisis needs a more formidable response.
Kenyan Police Officers. Photo/Courtesy
By Ruth Sang
Kenya has deployed hundreds more police officers to Haiti as part of its commitment to restoring order in the Caribbean country, where powerful armed groups continue to destabilize neighborhoods and weaken state institutions. The new deployment, starting Monday, is meant to replace those officers who have finished their rotation and also to keep up the pressure on criminal networks that have tightened their hold on the country during the past year.
Haiti has been wracked by unrelenting violence, spearheaded by deeply entrenched gangs whose influence enlarged amazingly, particularly after the resignation of the former prime minister, Ariel Henry, at the beginning of 2024. A resultant power vacuum enhanced the country’s security and political turmoil, enabling the armed factions to entrench themselves further.
United Nations estimates suggest that close to 90 percent of Port-au-Prince, Haiti’s capital, is now controlled by gangs. These groups act with impunity, killing people, sexually assaulting women, kidnapping, extorting money from the populace and engaging in widespread lootings. This breakdown in order has been unabated against a backdrop of prolonged political paralysis and failing public services.
In an attempt to shore up Haiti’s overextended national police, the UN Security Council authorized the deployment in 2023 of a multinational mission led by Kenya. The mission was designed to be a stabilisation one, tasked with reclaiming areas controlled by gangs and restoring a semblance of security to the population. Despite strong international support, however, the mission has failed to achieve its expected size. Only some 1,000 officers have been deployed to date—far short of the intended 2,500—mostly because of constraints on resources and logistics.
A senior Haitian government official, speaking to AFP on condition of anonymity, confirmed that a new contingent of 230 Kenyan officers arrived in the country on Monday, at the same time as the departure of close to 100 whose mission had ended. This rotation is part of strengthening the mission’s operational capability and sustaining momentum on ongoing operations against armed groups.
In late September, the UN Security Council again made its concern over Haiti’s deteriorating security environment known by authorizing the creation of a more enhanced anti-gang force. The decision underlines the increasing international awareness that the crisis needs a more formidable response. Haiti, being the poorest nation in the Western Hemisphere, has been without national elections for almost a decade. It is currently led by an interim administration responsible for guiding Haiti towards stability. A plan has been set for mid-2026 to hold elections for both legislative and presidential positions, and many are hopeful this will be a change toward democratic governance, which will help anchor long-term peace and security.
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