Kenya, to halt chaos and violence in Haiti, has sent a contingent of 400 police officers. According to local reports, these Kenyan police will contribute to restoring stability and training local security forces in Haiti. The 400-strong Kenyan security force departed for Haiti early in the morning.
During a ceremony marking the deployment of these security forces to Haiti, Kenyan President William Ruto stated, “We will collaborate with the international community to ensure lasting stability in Haiti.”
Social unrest in Haiti has deepened significantly in recent years due to various factors including the assassination of President Jovenel Moise in July 2021, a 7.2 magnitude earthquake in August 2021 causing over 2,200 deaths and widespread destruction, inflation, cholera outbreaks, kidnappings, and escalating violence.
Hundreds of people have lost their lives since April 2022 due to conflicts involving armed groups in the country.
With inflation reaching its highest levels in recent years, 40% of the population relying on food aid, and chronic gang conflicts leading to hundreds of deaths and displacements, the security situation in Haiti’s capital, Port-au-Prince, has been likened to that of a country at war according to a United Nations report.
The decision to send security forces to Haiti had sparked debates in Kenya.