Faith Nyasuguta
Kenya is preparing to send additional troops to Haiti to support the ongoing security mission aimed at combating gang violence in the Caribbean nation. This comes as part of President William Ruto’s promise, made in 2023, to assist Haiti in curbing escalating insecurity. During a visit to Haiti over the weekend, President Ruto reaffirmed Kenya’s commitment to the mission.
As reported by the BBC, Kenya will deploy an extra 600 troops to Haiti in the coming weeks. These reinforcements will join the nearly 400 Kenyan officers already stationed in the country, who have been patrolling alongside Haitian forces to protect civilians and restore security, particularly in the capital, Port-au-Prince, and surrounding areas.
President Ruto stated, “Our next batch, an additional 600, is undergoing redeployment training. We will be mission-ready in a few weeks’ time and look forward to the requisite support to enable their deployment.” This follows his initial pledge in July 2023 to send 1,000 troops to Haiti to help restore law and order. The first group of 400 Kenyan officers was deployed in June 2024.
Ruto’s Visit to Haiti
President Ruto arrived in Haiti on Saturday to assess the progress of the Kenyan troops already stationed there. Before heading to the United Nations General Assembly, he praised the Kenyan forces for their role in stabilizing parts of the country and noted that even former critics of the mission have now recognized its positive impact.
“You have represented the people of Kenya with courage, professionalism, selflessness, compassion, and sufficiency,” Ruto said, addressing the officers at the Kenyan base near the airport. He also commended them for bolstering security infrastructure, which has allowed displaced Haitians to return to their homes after fleeing violence.
Kenya was the first nation to deploy soldiers as part of a larger United Nations initiative to provide international assistance to Haiti, which has been plagued by violence and political instability since the assassination of President Jovenel Moise in 2021. The deployment faced initial skepticism, legal challenges, and delays, but the mission is now moving forward, with Kenyan forces playing a key role.
International Support for Haiti
Recently, other nations have begun to join the Kenyan-led peacekeeping mission in Haiti. A week ago, around two dozen Jamaican soldiers and police officers arrived in the country to support the operation, making Jamaica the second country to contribute troops to the mission. The United Nations Security Council approved the operation in October 2023.
Additionally, Belize has sent two senior military officers to join the Jamaican contingent, further strengthening the international effort to stabilize Haiti.
While the mission has garnered international backing, there have been allegations from a former U.S. diplomat that Ruto’s involvement in Haiti may be financially motivated. The U.S. government initially pledged $100 million (Ksh 13 billion) to support the Kenyan-led multinational force in restoring peace and security in Haiti.
Kenya remains committed to its role in aiding Haiti, with plans to fully deploy its additional troops in the coming weeks.
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