The government of Kenya has sent an additional 168 police officers to aid in tackling the increasingly severe violence perpetrated by gangs in Haiti.The new team of officers taking part in the mission are drawn from the British trained paramilitary General Service Unit (GSU) of Kenya.
They left Nairobi’s JKIA for Port-au-Prince on February 6th at about 1 a.m and are due to arrive in the city ON Thursday evening. They will team up with other Kenyan officers who are already in Port-au-Prince.
This deployment also serves as a pledge in the willingness of Kenya to head the United Nations sanctioned multiparty security force in Haiti to restore peace and order in a country that is suffering from extreme lawlessness. As it stands, Haiti has been a hub of uncontrolled violence with large parts of the capital city occupied by violent and heavily armed gangs who ruthlessly instill fear into innocent civilians and render basic public services unmanageable.
The newly deployed officers are charged with the responsibility of supporting the National Police of Haiti by fighting and securing important parts of the city deemed critical infrastructure in the ongoing battle against the gangs.
The issue of legality and the potential risk for the deployed officers has, however, created some political controversy regarding Kenya’s decision to lead the mission. Nonetheless, the Kenyan government has held a strong position on the matter, arguing for the humanitarian and security significance regarding the need to stabilize Haiti. As inscription on the coin, President William Ruto has made it a habit to declare that Kenya is willing to actively participate in peacekeeping missions throughout the world, portraying the deployment as an act of support to those in need in Haiti.
