Kenyan officers serving under the Multinational Security Support (MSS) mission are paid on time, and there are no plans by the officers to resign over salary delays, according to MSS Spokesperson Jack Ombaka. The government has responded, dismissing claims of officers planning to resign over salary delays.
Speaking during an interview on NTV, Ombaka maintained that the mission in Haiti has been positive, with the officers making great strides in the war against the gangs operating in the Caribbean nation.
According to Ombaka, the delays experienced in the disbursement of the salaries could be mainly attributed to the bureaucracy involved in the processing of money between the US and the National Treasury in Kenya.
''Our coming here was God-sent because we have helped the Haitians in a very being way. If we would not have come here, the situation could have been worse. Not a single officer has deserted duty or resigned," Ombaka stated.
''All these processes take time, and money is sent from Washington (US) to the deploying country (Kenya), and all the processes, including different banks processing, could take time. As we speak, all of them have received their allowances," he added.
He further reaffirmed that, to date, all officers operating under the mission have been fully paid, including their daily and monthly allowances. These, he added, included the disbursements made to their families.
''If you share with other officers who have done a mission elsewhere, they will tell you this is one of the best planned. This is one mission where officers are paid a daily subsistence allowance, including their monthly allowances.''
Ombaka also revealed that to ensure that the officers in Haiti keep in touch with their Kenyan families, the government has put in modern communication infrastructure for the officers.
These, he said, included modern amenities such as WIFI in addition to catering for the welfare to ensure that the mission becomes a success.
In December, reports emerged showing that police in Haiti had threatened to resign in the event that President William Ruto's administration failed to solve their problems, including the timely payment of their wages.
According to Citizen TV, the officers in Haiti who spoke to the media reported that they had not received their wages for some months.
Meanwhile, Ombaka dismissed recent reports of a growing disconnect between Kenyan officers and the Haitian people following mass protests last Wednesday, where thousands of Haitians took to the streets in major cities to demand an end to the gang warfare ravaging the nation.
During the protests, demonstrators brandished machetes while others waved palm leaves as they made their way through the streets of Port-au-Prince, where schools, banks, and other businesses remained closed.
The demonstrations came just a few days after a Kenyan police officer was reportedly slain during a confrontation with gang members.
