It has been nearly six weeks since Kenya deployed her gallant police officers to Haiti to help the Haitian National Police reclaim territories under the control of a 12,000-member gang, as well as guard critical infrastructure.
Kenya pledged to lead a 2500-troop mission that will have officers drawn from Chad, Jamaica, the Bahamas, and a few more countries.
Kenya contributes 1000 police officers, which is 40% of the total troop number.
Kenya’s mission leadership mandates that they lead from the front. This is why the country was the first to send its officers to the battle lines in Port-au-Prince, a serious gamble by the President and the Interior Ministry given how aggressive the gang actions have been.
They are so ruthless that they forced the former Prime Minister, Ariel Henry, to resign after taking over control of the main airport, making it impossible for him to land back in the country after a foreign mission.
However, Kenyan police have distinguished themselves so far. Under the command of Senior Assistant Inspector General of Police, Godfrey Otunge, who is the Mission Commander, Kenyan troops have scored three important wins.
They supported the Haitian National Police in launching an operation that helped reclaim the country’s biggest hospital, the State University Hospital of Haiti (HUEH).
On July 17, Kenyan troops once again launched a successful operation, resulting in the recapture of the Auorite Portuaire Nationale (APN) from gangs that had controlled it for almost 5 months since March 2024.
The Kenyan officers’ third significant triumph is their ability to compel the gang leaders to engage in peace negotiations. Before the officers arrived, the gang leaders were issuing threats, warning the Kenyan troops of dire consequences if they dared to enter Haiti.
Kenya can only interpret the gangs’ change of heart as a sign that they are feeling the pressure from Kenyan officers, and this pressure will intensify as more officers arrive in the Caribbean country.
