The United States government on Friday announced that it would deliver 24 additional armoured vehicles to the Kenyan police officers in Haiti to help deal with gang violence in the Caribbean nation.
President Joe Biden’s administration revealed it would deliver the mine-resistant ambush-protected (MRAP) MaxxPros to Port-au-Prince through its Air Force C-17 cargo aircraft.
The US further disclosed that the deliveries would start from Friday, adding to an existing fleet of 10 armed vehicles currently under use by the Kenyan contingent.
Joe Biden's government will also deliver 34 Overhead Gunner Protection Kits, or "turrets," to help the Kenyan officers in their operations against the gangs.
According to the Pentagon, the kits will be installed onto the armoured vehicles to boost their field view during joint operations with the Haitian national police.
The move comes hardly a month after Kenyan troops were forced to withdraw from the Haitian town of Ganthier marking a major setback in one of the mission's first significant outings from the capital.
According to reports, the first armoured vehicles supplied by the Americans did not have towers, preventing personnel from fighting or responding to attacks from inside.
The latest announcement comes a month after one of the armoured vehicles that was ferrying the Kenyan police broke down during a patrol mission in downtown Port-Au-Prince.
A video seen by Kenyans.co.ke depicted a stalled armoured vehicle being repaired by the officers with residents stopping to take pictures of the scene.
Following the incident, Haitians came out to criticise the United Nations mission for lack of air or sea equipment claiming it could affect the success of the mission.
An investigation conducted by the Miami Herald revealed that the Kenyan troops were yet to receive helicopters, planes or boats to aid the fight against the gangs.
“The gangs know where to hide, and without aerial support, you cannot conduct a serious operation, even if you have drones,” claimed Réginald Delva, a former Haiti public service official.
