NAIROBI, Kenya, Oct 12—Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja has confirmed that the second batch of Kenya Police units will be ready for deployment to Haiti early next month.
Speaking on Saturday during a visit by Haiti’s interim Prime Minister Garry Conille at the Administration Police Training College (APTC) in Embakasi, Kanja said the deployment plans and other aspects of the security mission are underway.
A contingent of 600 officers will soon join the 400 Kenyan police already stationed in Haiti after completing pre-deployment training. “Once this training is complete, the officers will be ready for departure early next month,” Kanja said during a briefing alongside Prime Minister Conille.
Kenya has pledged to provide 1,000 officers to lead the Multi-National Security Support Mission (MSSM) in Haiti, with the initial deployment of 400 officers having begun in September.
Addressing concerns about salary payments for the officers already in Haiti, Kanja confirmed that the issue had been resolved. “The payment issue has been sorted out, and the officers are happy,” he said.
Prime Minister Conille, who met with officers preparing for deployment, expressed gratitude for Kenya’s leadership and contribution to stabilizing Haiti. He praised the Kenyan team’s efforts as invaluable and thanked President William Ruto for supporting the mission. “Where others saw crises, Kenyan leadership saw opportunity; where others saw fatigue, Kenyan leadership saw hope,” Conille remarked.
He further emphasized Kenya’s role in mobilizing international awareness and support for Haiti’s situation, adding, “We are grateful not only for the manpower but also for Kenya’s leadership in sensitizing the international community.”
On Friday, during a joint press briefing at State House in Nairobi, President Ruto urged the international community to fulfill their financial commitments to ensure the success of the MSSM. Ruto highlighted the importance of increased funding to restore order in Haiti, which has been plagued by gang violence since the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse in 2021.
“The conversation I had this morning with Prime Minister Conille paints a brighter future. We believe the situation in Haiti is winnable,” Ruto stated, urging the global community to match their pledges with action.
Prime Minister Conille echoed Ruto’s sentiments, stressing the need to sustain progress in addressing Haiti’s ongoing humanitarian and security crises. He called on the international community to honour their financial commitments to fully fund the mission, stating, “The progress we are seeing depends on providing the Haitian people with the relief they desperately need.”
Haiti has faced escalating violence and displacement of hundreds of thousands of people since the assassination of Moïse at his private residence in Port-au-Prince in July 2021.
Source: capitalfm
